Historic Conshohocken Church Vandalized

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA — A historic Catholic church in Conshohocken was vandalized last week and authorities are on the hunt for possible suspects.

It's not yet clear exactly when the incident occurred at St. Mary's Church, located on 140 Hector Street in the borough. The damage was discovered recently and has alarmed caretakers of the property, which has stood for more than a century and serves as both a cultural and religious heritage site for the local Polish community.

"We want to clearly emphasize that this act is absolutely disgusting, disgraceful, shameful, and completely unacceptable," the St. Mary Polish American Society, which stewards the church and its grounds, said in a statement regarding the incident.

Vandalism included the smashing of a flower pot that stood beside a statue of Mary, as well as destruction of flowers and nearby candles. What the Society found most disturbing, however, was the damage done to the stained glass panels on the back doors of the church. The vandal scratched and smashed several of the panes.

The church has since boarded the glass panes up. They said they have received an upwelling of support from the community asking how they could help. The damage, however, is still being assessed, they said they would share information about the necessary repairs when it became available.

The church itself, which houses floor to ceiling artwork and numerous other highly valuable items, was not broken into or damaged, the Society said.

"We hope and pray that those who perpetrated this callous act of vandalism feel remorse for their actions and are deterred from engaging in similar acts at St. Mary's or anywhere else," the Society added.

St. Mary's is part of the larger St. Matthew's Parish within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

If you have any information, please contact Conshohocken Police at (610) 828-4032.

Image via St. Mary Polish American Society