Vandal damages more than $20K in property at Michigan City church on Thanksgiving morning

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (WLS) -- A Catholic community in Michigan City dealing with mixed emotions at the beginning of Advent.

St. Mary The Immaculate Conception is the victim of apparent vandalism. Church leaders say relics dating back to the 1800s were damaged.

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But the church is spreading a message of hope in the face of destruction.

Contractors have been cleaning up where the congregation of St. Mary the Immaculate Conception should have observed Mass on Thanksgiving and then again for the first Sunday of Advent.

Sometime early Thanksgiving morning, the front door was smashed in. A fire extinguisher had sprayed all over, a statue of St. Joseph was destroyed, and a hole was left right in the middle of one of the church's towering stained glass windows.

"It was interesting that it happened on Thanksgiving morning. Personally, I think it helped us appreciate what we have to be thankful for more," said Father Zach Glick with St. Mary's Parish in Michigan City.

No one was hurt, with only property damaged. Though, the statue of St. Joseph is believed to have been an original of the parish, which was formed in the late 1800s.

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"If you think about a statue that's been in a church for well over 100 years, the amount of devotion, the affection, the prayers that have gone up to heaven through the intercession of St. Jospeh, it really is a loss for the community," said Father David Kime.

The church does not have security footage. However, Marquette Catholic High School, located across the street, does. A statue there was pushed over and decapitated.

While they would not share the video with ABC7, school leaders say the recording shows the person walking up to their statue before destroying it. Meanwhile, Kime, in this season of hope, is encouraging people to pray for the person responsible and for everyone who is hurting.

"If we responded with just anger and blind rage, then we're missing the whole point of why this church is here, which is to reach out specifically to a person like that, and to tell that person, 'You're loved by God,'" Kime said.

Kime estimates the damage here at St. Mary's to be well north of $20,000.

Until at least Dec. 9, Mass and other services are being held nearby at Queen of All Saints.

Meanwhile, Michigan City police say they are only in the beginning stages of the investigation. Right now, there is no information on a suspect.