Statue desecrated at Long Island parish in latest act of church vandalism
A Sacred Heart statue was beheaded outside St. Mary's Catholic Church in East Islip, New York, shocking parishioners during a First Holy Communion Mass. The incident is part of a broader trend of anti-Christian vandalism across the U.S., with the Suffolk County Police's Hate Crimes Unit investigating. Community leaders and church officials have expressed their distress and called for prayers for the perpetrator.
- ▪The Sacred Heart statue was discovered beheaded in nearby bushes.
- ▪Suffolk County Police's Hate Crimes Unit is investigating the incident.
- ▪The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has tracked over 416 incidents of vandalism at Catholic sites since May 2020.
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News Statue desecrated at Long Island parish in latest act of church vandalism A Sacred Heart statue was beheaded outside a Long Island church amid a documented surge in anti-Christian vandalism and attacks across the U.S. and abroad. St. Mary's Catholic Church in East Islip, New YorkShutterstock PatrickDelaney 0 Patrick Delaney Comments 0 Tue May 19, 2026 - 7:52 pm EDT (LifeSiteNews) — Parishioners at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in East Islip, New York, were shocked to discover the violent desecration of their Sacred Heart statue over the weekend. The head of Jesus Christ, on the picturesque structure outside the church, had been severed from the body and later discovered in nearby bushes. The damage was reported around 11 a.m.
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