A violent crowed of tribal people vandalized a Catholic Church, a grotto of Mother Mary and the presbytery in Narayanpur district, Chhattisgarh state on Jan. 2.
The crowed armed with sticks and stones forced open the main gate of the Sacred Heart Church, in the heart of district headquarters and started to pelt stone at the Church.
They then forced into the Church through the main door and destroyed everything including the crucifix in the altar.
The crowed also vandalized the presbytery and a grotto of Mother Mary inside the Church campus.
Father Jomon TD, the parish priest told Matters India, “nothing is left everything is destroyed”.
“The more than five decades old Church”, the priest said, “was rebuilt five years back and now everything inside is ruined”.
Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur has condemned the attack and sought action against those behind it.
“We are deeply saddened and pained by the destructive attacks on Christians and today’s atrociously vandalizing the Catholic Church and presbytery at Narayanpur in the Diocese of Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh,” archbishop said.
The crowed that attacked the Church was part of a protest under banner of Sarva Adivasi Samaj that is opposed to tribal people adopting other faiths especially Christianity and Islam.