'Fake religion,' exclaimed the senior citizen who is currently locked up in Sacramento Valley after vandalizing the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. James Stoltenberg, 67 years old, reportedly defaced the Catholic church by carving obscenities on the altar of the church and destroying multiple priceless and historic items.
In total, the damages caused by Stoltenberg total $10,000. Fortunately, the perpetrator was arrested by the authorities through the help of the Colusa County District Attorney's office. Because of his criminal and hateful actions, the senior is charged with vandalism, burglary, and hate crime.
According to the New York Post, District Attorney Matthew R. Beauchamp said that the crime was religiously charged, saying that Stoltenberg did it for his belief that the Catholic religion is "fake." The district attorney added that the actions of Stoltenberg angered the community in general and not just the Catholic Community.
Currently, the authorities are still conducting their investigation on the matter.
What the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Congregation Has to Say
Rosemary Hicks, a member of the congregation who was baptized in the church said that even with what happened, the church will pray for Stoltenberg to get the help he needs. She added that they have faith that God "will lead them back to a safe place there."
To make matters worse for the congregation, the church is an established mainstay in the community as it has been serving for over 100 years. Hicks remains steadfast with her faith, saying that even with the 'shocking' situation their faith will get them through it.
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
According to the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church page, the church serves the Colusa community with daily masses in English and Spanish. Fr. Jacobo Caceres is the current leader of the church.
On the church page, the church is active when it comes to addressing the needs of the community. It even has its very own 'Ministry to Those in Need." The ministry consists of a food pantry and a clothing closet that is open every Saturday at 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. There's also the 'Big Food Distribution' that the church holds every third Wednesday of the month for Colusa County Residents.
It is also obvious on the church page that it is quite active when it comes to advocating for the community. One of these examples is the call of the church for people to vote against "Proposition 1." According to the church, the proposition would allow unlimited late-term abortions that are paid for by tax money.
The church says that this is not necessary as the State is already one of the most permissive in the country in terms of abortion laws. Further, the church says that the proposition would contravene what it called the 'common-sense limit.'
The call to action by the church tells people to not fund the abortion plans of lawmakers and to not allow them to make the State an 'abortion sanctuary.'
Related Article: European Court of Human Rights Overturns French Court Ruling Against Protester who "aborted" Jesus in 2013
