Authorities have arrested a suspect after vandalism at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Wichita, Kansas, which included writing a Satanic website and burning a flag. The attack occurred on Saturday morning, leading to the cancellation of the evening Mass.
Photos shared by the public policy group Kansas Catholic Conference depicted the vandalism, which included the breaking of a statue, damage to candles, and the smashing of at least one window.
The Kansas Catholic Conference noted that a “Satanic website was scrawled on a wall,” indicating that the vandalism is linked to the same group planning to hold a Satanic worship ritual on the grounds of the Kansas State Capitol on March 28.
On Sunday, the Wichita Police Department announced the arrest of a 23-year-old man from Saline County, believed to have committed the damage, including the burning of a U.S. flag.
The unnamed suspect was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail, facing charges of burglary, criminal damage to property, and criminal desecration.
In response to the attack on the Catholic Church, President Donald Trump stated that his administration would “take a look” as part of its commitment to “eradicating anti-Christian bias” nationwide.
During an interview, EWTN’s Owen Jensen questioned Trump about the actions his administration would take following the vandalism at St. Patrick's Church. Jensen asked, “What more can the White House do to protect places of worship like St. Patrick's Church?”
Trump affirmed, “We're going to take a look. I love Wichita... I got a lot of votes there, and we won that state by a large margin. We'll definitely examine that,” reiterating his intention to “take a look at it.”
A report released by the conservative Christian organization Family Research Council in February 2024 revealed over 400 attacks against churches in 2023, which was more than double the number reported in 2022.
From January through November 2023, the report documented at least 315 acts of vandalism, 75 acts of arson or attempted arson, 10 incidents involving firearms, 20 bomb threats, and 37 other incidents at churches.
