Federal authorities investigating potential hate crime after Catholic church was vandalized

The identity of the suspect has not been made public.

Published: March 18, 2025 3:21pm

Federal and local authorities are investigating a potential hate crime in connection to a Catholic church in Wichita, Kansas, having been vandalized this past weekend.

On Saturday, police arrested a 23-year-old suspect in relation to a burglary at the church and "extensive vandalism," at St. Patrick Catholic Church. However, they continue to further investigate the matter, according to Fox News. 

The damage inflicted by the yet-to-be-named suspect includes the beheading of a statue of St. Patrick, the breaking of candles and window and the burning of an American flag, Fox also reports. 

 In addition, the web address of a Satanic website was scrawled in the church’s wall, according to a statement by the Catholic Conference of Kansas.

The incident was reported Saturday at about 7:30 p.m.," the Wichita Police Department wrote in a post on Facebook.

President Donald Trump commented on the incident and said it was a "terrible thing," according to The Wichita Eagle newspaper.

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