A VICAR has said that he feels “very sorry” for vandals who wrote obscene graffiti on nearly 40 gravestones and on the outside of St James’s, Leyland, in Lancashire, before the Easter services.
Discovering the graffiti on Good Friday at about 9 a.m., the Vicar of St James’s, Leyland, the Revd Marc Wolverson, told the Church Times that he was alerted by a member of his congregation to the “horrific blasphemous words” and “sexually explicit images with rude remarks on them”.
“A majority of the graffiti has been cleaned off the church,” Fr Wolverson said. “There is a little bit of residual paint that should be removed, but you’ll be able to not tell that it’s blasphemous, graphic, or explicit.”
DAVID GREGSONObscene graffiti was found on nearly 40 gravestones
Fr Wolverson said that the gravestones would require more attention, and that he was investigating possible skilled cleaners with experience of cleansing heritage sites.
In a press release, Lancashire Constabulary said that they were treating the attack as a “hate crime” and would “do every part in [their] power to discover the offenders and take the suitable motion”.
Speaking concerning the perpetrators, Fr Wolverson said: “I pray that they arrive to understand that behaving in such a hurtful and harmful way towards the church and the community will not be going to bring them any fulfilment.
“I’m not offended towards them, but I hope they can come to terms with whatever is motivating them to do that, and that they’re healed and realise the error of their ways.”
Fr Wolverson said that, previously, he had handled “minor things that probably most churches might experience”, including “teenagers moving church benches around, or lighting campfires within the church yard”, but “nothing this serious”.
He has been overwhelmed by the community’s response, with offers of support, resources, encouragement, and money: “Everything we’d like to rectify this horrendous situation. As the Bible says, the sunshine shines within the darkness and the darkness shall never overcome it.”
The Archbishop of York had written a message of support: “For this precious holy ground to be so appallingly desecrated is deeply shocking. Easter must be a time of celebration and joy.” He continued: “I hope it’s a small comfort to know that, alongside many others, I’m holding you and your church in my prayers this Easter.”
Det. Sgt Lee Jamieson, of South CID, said: “This is a disgraceful act of vandalism which shows a whole lack of respect and which has left the church and its parishioners understandably extremely upset, especially given the time of yr.
“I might urge anyone locally who has any information which could help us discover who has done this to return forward and speak to us.”
