NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - Worshipers at a North Miami Church arrived for mass, last Thursday, only to find glass windows and doors had been shattered overnight.
The pastor of St. James Catholic Church said he and police have no idea who is behind the vandalism or why someone would do this. They’re asking for the public’s help in identifying who’s behind the crime that could cost them thousands of dollars.
“You wonder what reason could someone have to do this,” Monsignor Chanel Jeanty said, Wednesday. “We don’t know for sure what happened. It might have been some gun shots or perhaps somebody just doing it with a baseball bat or a hammer.”
The assault on the church, located at Northwest Seventh Avenue and 131st Street, didn’t sit well with parishioners. When parishioners arrived to church, Thursday morning, they found broken glass and the front door smashed at the entrance along Northwest Seventh Avenue.
“I’m very, very angry,” Mireille Israel said.
“How terrible,” Betty Exume said. “But I know God don’t like ugly, and they’re going to pay for that.”
Jeanty said each broken panel of glass will cost the church $2,000 to replace. While he’s still waiting for an official estimate, he expects the costs to be more than $10,000.
Jeanty said the money to pay for those costs will likely come out of the collection plate. He said that’s money that could’ve gone to the youth ministry or pay for the electric bill.
“Well, I’d say God loves you,” Jeanty said. “We’ll oftentimes pay for the consequences of the wrong thing that we’ve done, but there’s still salvation.”
North Miami Police are now investigating this unholy act, but so far, there are no leads.
If you have any information on this act of vandalism, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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