Statue of Our Lady desecrated, outdoor altar of church in Medjugorje set on fire

An unknown perpetrator desecrated the statue of Our Lady on Podbrdo and set fire to the outdoor altar of the Church of St. James in Medjugorje, one of the most famous Catholic pilgrimage centers in the world, and the police are conducting an on-site investigation and determining the circumstances of the incident.

At the site of Podbrdo, where six visionaries claim that Our Lady has appeared to them since 1981, the face and hands of the statue of Our Lady were doused with black paint. The inscription "Devil in a skirt" and a message that the visionaries lied were written on the pedestal.

Shortly after, the outdoor altar of the Church of St. James was set on fire.

A video was posted on social media showing a person arriving with a fuel tank, dousing the outdoor altar with flammable liquid and then setting it on fire.

The Ministry of the Interior of the Herzegovina-Neretva County announced that the first report was received at 4:30 a.m. regarding damage to the statue of Our Lady, and at 5 a.m., a report of a fire on the outer part of the altar of the Church of St. James was received.

The fire was quickly extinguished.

According to unofficial information, the police have tracked down the perpetrator and it is only a matter of time before he is arrested.

Parish Office of Medjugorje: We pray for the conversion of the hearts of those who committed this act

“We received the news with great sadness about the act of vandalism that damaged the prayer spaces in our parish. We immediately began cleaning and repairing the damage so that all spaces would be properly prepared for prayer again. We thank everyone who, with their work and selfless help, participates in ensuring that the sanctuary remains a place of encounter with God, a place of peace and a place where the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, is honored. In a special way, we call on all believers to respond to this event in the way Our Lady has been teaching us for more than forty years in Medjugorje: through prayer, fasting and forgiveness. We pray for the conversion of the hearts of those who committed this act, that the Lord may touch them with His grace and lead them on the path of goodness. We also pray for peace in the hearts of all people. Our Lady constantly calls us to be bearers of peace. May this event encourage us to take her call even more seriously: not to return evil for evil, but to witness love, forgiveness and hope with our lives,” said the statement from the Medjugorje Parish Office.

The sanctuary remains open to all pilgrims. The prayer program is taking place regularly, and all areas are being rapidly cleaned and prepared so that they can once again be a place of prayer and encounter with the Lord, the parish added.

The act of vandalism was also condemned by pilgrims:

“It is an ordinary act of vandalism. We do not know who did it, why.”

“Only a sick person could do it, I do not know what else to say, I am in shock.”

“I think it is a demon that has entered a person, it can’t be anything else.”

“Evil people, the times we live in, want to tear us away from God and Our Lady, but we will not give in.”

Grlić Radman says that the act of vandalism in Medjugorje is an insult to believers

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who is in Orašje today, condemned the vandalism in Medjugorje.

“I expect the competent authorities to investigate and establish who committed this act and to convict the perpetrator,” said Plenković.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman has strongly condemned the desecration of the statue of Our Lady and the burning of the altar in Medjugorje, calling it a "deep insult to believers".

“I strongly condemn the vandalistic desecration of the statue of Our Lady and other holy places in Medjugorje and the burning of the altar of the Church of St. James,” the head of diplomacy wrote on Facebook.

He called the vandalistic act a deep insult to believers and all people of good will, adding that Medjugorje was, is and will remain a place of peace, prayer and hope, stronger than any act of hatred.

Source: HRT