The Archdiocese of Tours in France reported that three Catholic churches within its jurisdiction have been desecrated and announced that Masses of reparation will be held at the affected churches.
“In recent days, three churches in our diocese in Chambray-lès-Tours, Luynes, and Tours (St.Joan of Arc Church) have been targeted by malicious individuals,” the archdiocese said in a July 28 statement.
The text specifies that “offering boxes were looted and damaged, doors forced open, sacred vessels damaged, a tabernacle forced open, and the Blessed Sacrament desecrated.”
“These painful and hurtful events for the Catholic community unfortunately reveal the extent to which our society is permeated by disturbing forms of violence, a lack of culture, and a lack of civility,” the statement laments.
Finally, the text notes without specifying dates that “Masses of reparation will be celebrated in the desecrated churches.”
Michel Lamy, the mayor of Chambray-lès-Tours, condemned the desecration of the church in his town, stating: “These acts fill me with deep indignation and are simply unacceptable.”
“Nothing can justify an attack on a place of worship, our heritage, and what it represents for many residents of Chambray,” the mayor stated on his Facebook page.
The mayor posted photos of the desecration, showing Communion hosts scattered on the ground and excrement on the floor.
“I condemn this desecration in the strongest possible terms and offer my full support to the parish community, Father François Xavier Olayemy Oniossou, and all those deeply shocked by these events,” the mayor added.
“In Chambray-lès-Tours, as elsewhere, respect for places of worship, regardless of one’s convictions, is a fundamental value,” he stated.
In November 2024, similar acts of desecration occurred at four churches in the Archdiocese of Tours. Archbishop Vincent Jordy stated at the time that “there may be people who wish to express at times hatred toward the Church, or toward what she represents.”
“There is this type of phenomenon that unfortunately exists — we say it in the communique — and which manifests a lack of culture and a form of contempt for peopleʼs [way of] life and faith,” the prelate lamented at the time.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
