Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Reparation Mass restores vandalized St. Barnabas Church
Reparation Mass restores vandalized St. Barnabas Church
by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published November 28, 2008
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Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic
Auxiliary Bishop John Quinn asperges the altar of St. Barnabas Church, Eastpointe, with Deacon Michael Lang. |
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Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic
Cracks in reinforced window of parish office show signs of vandalism. |
Eastpointe – Auxiliary Bishop John Quinn celebrated a Mass of Reparation and Repentance Tuesday morning at St. Barnabas Church, where vandals had broken into the tabernacle and desecrated the Blessed Sacrament last weekend.
After beginning the service with a litany, Bishop Quinn blessed holy water and asperged the altar and the walls of the church.
In his homily, the bishop spoke to the more than 250 parishioners who came to the Mass about the difficulties we often encounter in trying to repair things or trying to remove a stain from a carpet, and how our own efforts are often inadequate.
"It is the same with trying to remove the stain of sin – it takes God's action," he added.
Speaking of the vandals, as yet unidentified, who broke into the tabernacle and scattered the hosts on the floor of the church, Bishop Quinn said, "Perhaps they thought that inside the tabernacle was something precious they could sell.
"What they didn't realize was that what was inside was the most precious of all – for in that tabernacle was what we believe to be the Body and Blood of Christ."
Bishop Quinn said the congregation should pray for whomever committed the vandalism "that our prayers might occasion an awakening in their life."
And he said the congregation should also call to mind "whether there may have been times we have taken the Eucharist for granted."
The damage to the church and other parts of the parish complex was discovered last Sunday morning by parishioners arriving for the 10 a.m. Mass.
St. Barnabas' pastor, Fr. Robert Schuster, said Monday he had celebrated an early Mass Sunday morning at De La Salle Collegiate High School, and when he arrived at St. Barnabas, "the church parking lot was empty, except for some police cruisers."
Parishioners arriving for Mass were being diverted to Holy Innocents Church in Roseville, St. Barnabas' cluster partner, and Fr. Schuster said he went there, too.
"I was sort of in a state of shock during Mass. It wasn't thieves, it was just vandalism," he said, detailing how the vandals broke into the tabernacle and desecrated the host, then broke into the religious education offices and the offices of a day-care center that leases space from the parish.
"We still don't know where they got in," he said, adding that the break-in could have taken place anytime after the church was locked up following the 4:30 p.m. Mass last Saturday and when parishioners began arriving about 9 a.m. last Sunday.
After breaking windows and gaining entry into the religious education office, the vandals destroyed computers, a photocopier and a fax machine.
Fr. Schuster said he did not yet have an estimate of the monetary value of the damage.
But the most hurtful aspect of the break-in was the desecration of the Blessed Sacrament, he continued: "Many people were visibly upset and crying, and it was very difficult for me," he said.
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