A statue of Jesus Christ at a war memorial in the United Kingdom has been decapitated and vandalised with paint, leaving churchgoers distressed and a local priest describing the incident as an attack on the Catholic Church.
The damage was discovered on Sunday morning at St Alban’s Church in Warrington, Cheshire, where the memorial honours people who lost their lives in both World Wars.
The statue, depicting Jesus on the cross, was found with its head missing and what appeared to be green and black paint smeared across its body. Offensive graffiti targeting the Church and Christianity was also reportedly found on the memorial before being removed later that day.
Reverend Canon Christopher Cunningham condemned the vandalism in a Facebook post, describing it as an “evil” act and a form of persecution against Jesus and the Catholic Church.
He said he had been preparing to celebrate Mass on Sunday when someone alerted him that the statue’s head had been destroyed or knocked off.
“I was looking forward to celebrating mass but it was distracted because of the thoughts that were taking place. People were affected by it – they must have been,” he said.
Cunningham added that the graffiti contained offensive language directed at the Catholic Church and Christ himself.
He questioned whether the vandalism was linked to Halloween celebrations, saying he believed it was more than just people having fun and instead represented an attack on the Church.
Several parishioners also expressed their disappointment on social media, with some describing the incident as a senseless and malicious act.
Cheshire Police believe the vandalism took place between 6pm and 10pm on Friday, Oct 30. Authorities have released a CCTV image of a person they wish to speak to as part of their investigation.
Warrington Local Policing chief inspector Joseph McNally said the incident was particularly upsetting because war memorials were intended to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
“This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and has a significant impact on those who use and support the church and the wider community,” he said.
McNally stressed that places of worship should remain safe and welcoming environments, adding that police were committed to identifying those responsible.
He urged anyone who was near St Alban’s Church during the suspected time of the incident to come forward, particularly those with CCTV, doorbell, dashcam or mobile phone footage that could assist the investigation.
