New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke out against two recent incidents of vandalism at Catholic churches in Queens as the New York City Police Department investigates the mid-March events as hate crimes.
“I’m deeply troubled by reports of vandalism targeting two Catholic churches in Far Rockaway. Everyone in our city deserves to practice their faith freely, without fear or intimidation,” Mamdani wrote on X on Friday.
The Mayor’s words come nearly a week after the latest incident of vandalism, as the NYPD investigates a March 21 spray-painting incident that took place at St. Rita’s Roman Catholic Church. The first incident occurred several weeks ago on March 14 at St. Gertrude’s Roman Catholic Church.
At St. Rita’s Roman Catholic Church, an unknown vandal suspect spray-painted a statue of St. Francis of Assisi outside the place of worship blue. The NYPD told the Washington Examiner that per the police report filed on Tuesday, the suspect “also spray painted the word ‘PAGAN’ on the floor in front of the statue.”
At St. Gertrude’s on March 14, an unknown suspect broke a statue of the Virgin Mary on the church’s property.
For both incidents in Far Rockaway, the NYPD said, “There are no arrests, and the investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.”
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The second NYPD investigation and Mamdani’s statement come just days before Palm Sunday as the Catholic parishes move into the Holy Week leading up to Easter.
“We stand in solidarity with these parishes and their communities as they recover,” Mamdani said.
