DENVER — A Colorado Catholic church was found vandalized Wednesday with smashed windows and spray-painted pro-abortion messages, not long after the leaked Supreme Court draft overturning Roe v. Wade.
Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Boulder was tagged with messages such as “my body, my choice” and “keep your religion off our bodies,” while several windows were cracked and broken.
Mark Haas, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Denver, said the church was vandalized last year with similar pro-abortion messages but linked the latest attack to the anticipated Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
“We knew that the upcoming Supreme Court decision might lead to this again, so I can’t say we were entirely surprised this morning,” said Mr. Haas in an email. “We’ve certainly had internal discussions on simple ways parishes can improve their security.”
He said that the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, which apparently occurred Tuesday night.
Mr. Haas said he has counted at least 30 incidents of vandalism, theft or property damage at the parish since February 2020, including the pro-abortion messages spray-painted on the historic church in September, but that this week’s incident was the first in 2022.
“It is unfortunate that the attacks against our Catholic parishes have resumed, and very troubling when our parishioners show up for Mass to find their Church has been targeted,” said Mr. Haas. “We will continue to pray for the conversion of those who carry out acts of desecration against our churches, statues, and religious symbols.”
EWTN’s @OwenTJensen: “[Abortion activists] are going after, targeting Catholic churches [in Colorado], esp. when it involves Roe. That’s what they’re…focusing on.”
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck)
Psaki: “Again, we don’t condone vandalism…It’s important…60 to 70%…do not want Roe to be overturned.” pic.twitter.com/BbgQFL19ne
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at Thursday’s press briefing that the administration does not condone vandalism after being asked about the Colorado church damage.
“Again, we don’t condone vandalism. We condone peaceful protests. I think it’s important to note that 60% or 70%, depending on the poll you look at, of the American people do not want Roe to be overturned,” said Ms. Psaki in a clip posted by the Media Research Center.
A statue at the church was also spray-painted, as was a truck in the parking lot. Sacred Heart of Mary was founded in 1873.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has chronicled at least 129 incidents of destruction in 35 states and the District of Columbia since May 2020, including “arson, statues beheaded, limbs cut, smashed, and painted, gravestones defaced with swastikas and anti-Catholic language.”
A majority draft opinion showing that the Supreme Court has the votes to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide, was published Monday by Politico. The leak is under investigation by the Supreme Court Marshal.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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