4 statues vandalized outside of Chester County church; images of suspect released

Four statues at St. Joseph Parish in Downingtown, Pennsylvania were vandalized between December 10 and 11, and the Downingtown Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying the perpetrator, who was captured on surveillance footage.

The statues, of St. Anthony, St. Joseph, Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Holy Family, were damaged, with those of St. Anthony and St. Joseph being completely destroyed. The statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was tipped over but landed safely without being damaged, while the statue of the Holy Family was bent to the side but held in place by a metal bar. No graffiti or other messages were left at the scene, and the cost of damages is unclear.

The perpetrator also vandalized Downingtown West High School, which is located approximately two minutes from the parish. A Nativity display at the church was unaffected by the vandalism. The church, which is the second-largest parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia with more than 5,000 families, has called for the perpetrator to be caught and for forgiveness in the wake of the incident.