Colorado parish defaced with pro-abortion graffiti for second time in seven months

Denver, Colo., May 4, 2022 / 17:00 pm

A Catholic parish church in Boulder, Colorado was defaced with pro-abortion slogans the evening of May 3, marking the second time in less than a year that the parish has been targeted with pro-abortion graffiti. 

The incident at Sacred Heart of Mary Parish coincides with the revelation May 2 of a leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court, suggesting that the court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, which would allow states to curtail or outlaw abortion. 

Photos shared with CNA by the Archdiocese of Denver show vulgar slogans spray painted on the church, such as “F* You,” “F the Church, F** the State,” as well as numerous inscriptions of “My Body My Choice,” “You don’t speak 4 God,” and a symbol that appears to be an “A” signifying “anarchy.” Red paint was also used to deface a statue on the parish grounds. 

The graffiti covers the church doors, several outer walls, and a white pickup truck in the parking lot. At least one of the outer windows of the church appears to be shattered. 

Diocesan spokesman Mark Haas told CNA that the archdiocese has recorded at least 30 incidences of vandalism, property destruction, and theft since February 2020. The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver was targeted with anti-Catholic slogans in October 2021. 

The Boulder County sheriff’s office was called to investigate the incident in Boulder. 

Last September, the parish was tagged with numerous spray-painted slogans, including “Jesus [Loves] Abortion,” “Bans off our bodies,” and “No Wire Hangers Ever.” At that time, the parish had a display of 4,000 small white crosses in its front lawn, each representing a baby aborted each day in the United States. The vandals trampled and desecrated at least half the crosses. Boulder authorities have not announced suspects related to that incident. 

Colorado has some of the nation’s most permissive abortion laws, codified by Gov. Jared Polis earlier this year. The state allows abortion up to the point of birth. Boulder is where Warren Hern, a prolific abortionist who has performed thousands of late term abortions, owns and operates his clinic. 

Reports of vandalism at churches and other Catholic sites appear to have increased in recent years, amid the pandemic, political protests, and civil unrest. While some crimes against churches appear to be committed by those suffering from mental illness or by juveniles, other crimes appear to be motivated by anti-Catholic animus or support for abortion. 

There was a rash of reports in the weeks leading up to March of this year, which included vandalism to Catholic church buildings, schools, and cemeteries.