Church property sits vandalized at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Sunday, July 19, 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of PittsburghCNA Staff, Jul 22, 2025 / 12:32 pm (CNA).Federal agents are investigating a vandalism incident at a church in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, according to Bishop Mark Eckman.Eckman said in a July 19 statement that St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, had been desecrated with "anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic messages." The vandalism "wounded not only the people of this parish but every member of our diocesan family," the bishop said. "This holy place, meant for prayer, community, and the merciful presence of God has been violated in a deeply painful way," he added. Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are leading the inquiry into the incident, the bishop said. On Monday the diocese released photos of the vandalism "wit...
Church property sits vandalized at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Sunday, July 19, 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Pittsburgh
CNA Staff, Jul 22, 2025 / 12:32 pm (CNA).
Federal agents are investigating a vandalism incident at a church in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, according to Bishop Mark Eckman.
Eckman said in a July 19 statement that St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, had been desecrated with "anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic messages."
The vandalism "wounded not only the people of this parish but every member of our diocesan family," the bishop said.
"This holy place, meant for prayer, community, and the merciful presence of God has been violated in a deeply painful way," he added.
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are leading the inquiry into the incident, the bishop said.
On Monday the diocese released photos of the vandalism "with the hope that it will prompt someone in the community to come forward with information that may assist investigators in identifying those responsible."
Church property sits vandalized at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Sunday, July 19, 2025. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Pittsburgh
Images showed a statue of the Virgin Mother spray-painted with a Star of David as well as a door marked with graffiti and a wall tagged with profanity and a swastika.
The diocese is "heartbroken over this hateful act," Eckman said on Monday, adding that he was urging the faithful to "[pray] for comfort and peace."
Bradford Arick, a spokesman for the FBI's Pittsburgh field office, confirmed to CNA on Tuesday that the agency "has been made aware of the reported vandalism and is investigating."
The Family Research Council said in a report last year that vandalism against churches — especially Catholic places of worship — has increased significantly in the U.S. since 2018.
Arielle Del Turco, the director of the group's Center for Religious Liberty, said last year that "our culture is demonstrating a growing disdain for Christianity and core Christian beliefs, and acts of hostility against churches could be a physical manifestation of that."
Church property sits vandalized at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Sunday, July 19, 2025. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Pittsburgh
Many of those acts of violence appear to have been in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's repeal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which allowed abortion to be regulated by the states for the first time in decades.
Then-U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, last year demanded that then-President Joe Biden protect Catholic churches from the "growing number of attacks" they suffered in the wake of that repeal.
A Catholic church in Wichita, Kansas, was vandalized in March, including damages to statues and hateful graffiti. President Donald Trump at the time described the incident as "terrible" and vowed that the government would "take a look at it."
Cardinal Fernando Filoni speaks to "EWTN News Nightly" on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 / Credit: EWTN NewsVatican City, Jul 23, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).A longtime Vatican diplomat now dedicated to aiding Christians in the Holy Land recently offered reflections on the Church's mission in conflict zones and its roots in the Middle East. In a wide-ranging interview with "EWTN News Nightly" on July 22, Cardinal Fernando Filoni underscored that the Middle East is not just part of Christianity's past but remains an area of vital importance."Being there means not letting this vast region be considered only historically as the beginning of the Church, without living Christian communities," he said. A portion of the interview was broadcast on Tuesday evening. Despite waves of emigration and violence, Filoni insisted, the Church cannot forget her roots. "Jerusalem is the Mother Church. No one should forget their mother's and father's home," he said.Filoni recalled vividly his serv...
The grounds at the Sanctuary of La Sainte-Baume. / Credit: Sanctuary of La Sainte-BaumeWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 22, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).Tucked away in a rocky mountain in southeast France is a cave formed by natural erosion called La Sainte-Baume. It is one of the oldest Christian pilgrimage sites in the world as it is the place where Mary Magdalene is believed to have spent the last 30 years of her life.Esteemed by St. Thomas Aquinas as the "Apostle to the Apostles," St. Mary Magdalene is regarded by the Dominicans as a secondary patroness of their order, which was founded in Toulouse, France. Appropriately, the cave remains under the care of the friars in the Toulouse province. The Dominicans are charged with the task of welcoming and evangelizing pilgrims who make their way to La Sainte-Baume. (The word "baume" comes from the Provençal word "baumo," meaning "cave.") The friars, alongside staff and volunteers, run the hostelry located next to the convent at the f...
Sean Graber, president of EWTN Digital (left), and Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios. / Credit: EWTNWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 22, 2025 / 16:47 pm (CNA).Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) Chairman and CEO Michael P. Warsaw has announced a new organizational structure to further EWTN's mission in the digital landscape by enhancing its content creation and distribution methods under the leadership of two new presidents.EWTN will now align its operations around two new divisions: EWTN Studios and EWTN Digital. Led by Peter Gagnon, EWTN Studios will focus on content development, while Sean Graber will lead EWTN Digital, which will prioritize the network's media distribution and broadening its audience. (Note: EWTN is the parent company of CNA.)"Under the leadership of our foundress, Mother Angelica, EWTN learned to constantly adopt new technology to reach souls," Warsaw said. "Just as our major network peers in secular media have done, this change in structure will al...
Church property sits vandalized at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Sunday, July 19, 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Pittsburgh
