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Church Desecrated By Vandals

Over the weekend, a Catholic Church in Portland fell victim to a disturbing act of vandalism, once again highlighting the concerning trend of attacks on churches over abortion. Andy Ngo, a senior editor at The Post Millennial, brought attention to the incident through a post shared on X Sunday, showcasing images of the defaced St. Patrick’s Church in northwest Portland, Oregon. Graffiti scrawled across the church’s doors conveyed a pro-abortion message, accompanied by profanity-laden phrases such as “F— U” and “My body my choice.” The exterior of the church bore a similarly offensive message, though slightly altered. Despite efforts to remove the hateful graffiti, remnants of a previous defacement remained evident on the door, indicating a repeated targeting of the church.

Ngo’s post underscores the disturbing frequency of such attacks on churches in Portland, particularly since 2020. These acts of vandalism gained momentum following the leak of the U.S. Supreme Court’s draft decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case in 2022, which signaled a potential overturning of the Roe v. Wade ruling. Subsequently, with the official Dobbs decision nullifying Roe and negating a constitutional right to abortion, the vandalism directed at churches persisted, driven by a pro-abortion agenda.

St. Patrick’s Church, however, was no stranger to such assaults even before the specter of the Dobbs decision loomed large. Instances of vandalism, including arson and graffiti, were reported as early as 2021, underscoring a pattern of targeted attacks on Catholic churches in Portland. St. Patrick’s was not alone in facing such desecration; other Catholic churches in the area, including St. Andrew’s, St. Francis of Assisi, and Holy Redeemer, also suffered similar acts of vandalism during the same period.

A comprehensive list compiled by CatholicVote, tracking incidents of vandalism against Catholic churches nationwide since 2020, further highlights the extent of the issue in Portland. Numerous churches, including St. Mary’s Cathedral, All Saints Catholic Church, and the Archdiocese of Portland Office, among others, were subjected to vandalism, with many cases remaining unresolved. The alarming frequency of these attacks prompted the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to identify assaults on houses of worship as the foremost threat to religious liberty in 2024, emphasizing the urgent need to address and combat such acts of hostility.