‘An act of darkest evil’ - explosive device detonated on Penn. parish chapel altar

"I am heartbroken that such a heinous, hateful, and evil act occurred."

The bishop of Allentown, Pa., condemned the detonation of an explosive device in a local parish adoration chapel this week, calling it an “act of religious hate.”

St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish. Credit: Facebook.

No one was injured, but the monstrance was damaged when the device was set off.

“I am heartbroken that such a heinous, hateful, and evil act occurred at St. Teresa of Calcutta [Parish],” said Bishop Alfred Schlert in a May 7 statement.

“Belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist is central to the Catholic Faith. To use an explosive device to destroy the Blessed Sacrament is an act of darkest evil,” Schlert said.

“I thank God that no one was injured in the incident, and that the suspect has been taken into custody by law enforcement.”

The incident occurred on the evening of May 6.

“Shortly after 9:00 p.m., a 32-year-old man entered the Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Mahanoy City and placed an explosive device on the altar,” a diocesan spokeswoman told The Pillar.

“The device detonated, damaging the Monstrance and sacred statues inside the chapel, denting the altar, and shattering several stained-glass windows.”

“The suspect’s motives remain unknown, and the incident is currently under active investigation,” she added.

In a May 7 post on Facebook, St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish announced that the chapel would be closed until further notice.

“We are very upset,” the post said. “We know the Chapel has been a place of refuge, comfort, and healing, and that people have attended from all over the County and beyond. The Chapel has been in existence since 1982.”

Schlert said in his statement that while he offers forgiveness to the person responsible, he also prays that the suspect “will receive the help needed and the justice demanded for their actions.”

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has recorded more than 370 cases of arson, vandalism, and destruction at Catholic churches in the past five years.

In January 2022, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, serving as head of the USCCB’s religious liberty committee, warned of “a disturbing trend” of violent and destructive attacks against churches in the United States.

“An attack on a house of worship is certainly an assault on the particular community that gathers there,” he said. “It is also an attack on the founding principle of America as a place where all people can practice their faith freely. And it is an attack on the human spirit, which yearns to know the truth about God and how to act in light of the truth.”