Photo courtesy of photojournalist Stanley Forman, three-time Pulitzer Prize Winner (Twitter @sjforman138) – Original caption: “The Virgin Mary Statue in Dorchester which was vandalized earlier this week has been cleaned up. A Saint Peter’s parishioner put fresh flowers on it.“A group of neighbors, parishioners, and people of faith gathered outside Saint Peter church in Dorchester in response to an act of hate toward the Latin Catholic religious community in the neighborhood.
On July 11th, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Dorchester’s Saint Peter was set on fire by an unknown individual. The same night, another attack was perpetrated against a Virgin Mary statue just a mile away, at Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish.
During the gathering, led by Pastor John Currie on July 15th, attendees prayed the Rosary and cleaned the religious symbol, damaged after the attack.
In the prayer, Father Currie began offering help to the “person or persons” responsible for the hate-act. “We love you, we forgive you, and we are here to serve and help you in any way you may need,” Currie said in a heartfelt statement.
Currie also expressed that the act of vandalism was an “opportunity” for the “people of faith, united with the people of goodwill of the neighborhood” to be an example “in shining light of peace, open love to our nation, state, city, and neighborhoods in these challenging times.”
Pastor Currie ended his prayer citing the words of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., who said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Related:
Another statue of the Virgin Mary was attacked in Dorchester
Hate-criminal set on fire statue of the Virgin Mary in Dorchester
Elements of hate crime must be considered in vandalism of Dorchester St. Gregory church
