An 18-inch pipe bomb was found behind a Catholic church in Philadelphia and removed by the police department’s bomb squad.
According to a police report, a passerby found the pipe bomb behind St. Dominic Catholic Church in the Holmesburg neighborhood of the city at 1:39 p.m. on Sunday. The bomb squad removed the device and conducted an analysis of it. The report states that the bomb was a PVC pipe with capped ends and a black powder on it, but that the type of powder was still unknown. Part of Frankford Avenue was temporarily shut down while the bomb squad removed the device.
The church, which was constructed in 1896, is one of the oldest in Philadelphia. In August 2019, the Philadelphia Historical Commission added it to its official Register of Historic Places.
The area in which the pipe bomb was located was also near railroad tracks.
Philadelphia Police did not respond to questions about whether they believe the church had been targeted or whether they have any suspects, but instead referred CNA to the original police report. Neither the Archdiocese of Philadelphia nor St. Dominic Catholic Church could be reached for comment by the time of publication.
Although the target of the pipe bomb is still unclear, there have been at least 248 incidents of arson, vandalism, or other types of destruction against Catholic churches since May 2020, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ tracker. Criminal acts include churches being set on fire, statues being defaced with paint or having the limbs or the head cut off, gravestones defaced with swastikas, and defacing church buildings and property with anti-Catholic language.
Among recent incidents, less than a month ago a woman was arrested after defacing the “Christ in Death” statue at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fargo, North Dakota. The statue portrays Christ’s corpse lying on a burial shroud. On Jan. 10, a man shattered a glass window on the door of St. Mary Catholic Church in Escondido, California. This was the third time the Escondido church had been vandalized since Christmas of last year. On Jan. 16, two Catholic churches in Billings, Montana, were vandalized. In both incidents, some Church property was defaced and some of it was stolen. Two other non-Catholic churches were also vandalized in the same week in Billings.
In addition to attacks on Catholic churches, pro-life pregnancy centers have also been subject to vandalism. These attacks saw an uptick after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. There have been 57 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers since May 2022, yet there have been very few arrests in relation to these crimes.
On Jan. 11, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a resolution condemning the attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers, pro-life organizations, and churches. The resolution passed 222-209 with only three Democratic lawmakers in the chamber supporting the measure: Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas; Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pennsylvania; and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Washington. Three Republicans did not vote, but every other Republican voted in favor of the resolution.
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Denver, Colo., May 7, 2021 / 11:00 am (CNA).
A new documentary about Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church, is available to watch for free this month.“I Am With You,”… […]
Saint Peter’s Chapel and Native American Museum at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York. / Photo courtesy of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site
Chicago, Ill., Jul 13, 2023 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
Shrines to various saints can be found in every part of the world, including every state in the U.S. Each one is dedicated to faith and prayer, but one shrine in the northeastern United States also has a distinct mission of connecting pilgrims with Native American culture and sharing the fascinating history of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first American Indian to be canonized a saint.
The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York, honors not only the life of St. Kateri, whose feast day is July 14, but also the life and history of the local Indigenous people to whom she belonged.
“We have cultivated strong ties to both the Catholic Mohawk community and the traditional Mohawk community,” said Melissa Miscevic Bramble, director of operations at the St. Kateri Shrine, in an interview with CNA. “We see it as our mission to educate about her Mohawk culture as well as her Catholic faith.”
Who was St. Kateri?
Called the Lily of the Mohawks, Kateri Tekakwitha was the child of a Mohawk father and a Christian Algonquin mother but was orphaned at age 4 when the rest of her family died of smallpox. Her own early bout with the illness left lasting scars and poor vision.
She went to live with an anti-Christian uncle and aunt, but at age 11 she encountered Jesuit missionaries and recognized their teaching as the beliefs of her beloved mother. Desiring to become a Christian, she began to privately practice Christianity.
Beginning at about age 13, she experienced pressure from her family to marry, but she wanted to give her life to Jesus instead. A priest who knew her recorded her words: “I have deliberated enough. For a long time, my decision on what I will do has been made. I have consecrated myself entirely to Jesus, son of Mary, I have chosen him for husband, and he alone will take me for wife.”
At last, she was baptized at about age 19, and her baptism made public her beliefs, which had been kept private up until then. The event was the catalyst for her ostracism from her village. Some members of her people believed that her beliefs were sorcery, and she was harassed, stoned, and threatened with torture in her home village.
Tekakwitha fled 200 miles to Kahnawake, a Jesuit mission village for Native Amerian converts to Christianity to live together in community. There, she found her mother’s close friend, Anastasia Tegonhatsiongo, who was a clan matron of a Kahnawake longhouse. Anastasia and other Mohawk women took Kateri under their wings and taught her about Christianity, and she lived there happily for several years until her death around age 23 or 24.
Although she never took formal vows, Tekakwitha is considered a consecrated virgin, and the United States Association of Consecrated Virgins took her as its patron. She is also the patron saint of traditional ecology, Indigenous peoples, and care for creation.
A shrine with a special mission
The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site has a unique mission of archaeological and historical research related to Kateri Tekakwitha and her people. Welcoming several thousand visitors per year, the shrine ministers not only to Christians but also to all American Indians.
According to its website, the shrine and historic site “promotes healing, encourages environmental stewardship, and facilitates peace for all people by offering the natural, cultural, and spiritual resources at this sacred site.” Describing itself as a sacred place of peace and healing with a Catholic identity, its ministry and site are intended to be ecumenical and welcome people of all faiths.
In keeping with this mission, the shrine’s grounds include an archaeological site, the village of Caughnawaga, which is the only fully excavated Iroquois/Haudenosaunee village in the world. St. Kateri lived in this village, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can also visit the Kateri Spring, where Kateri Tekakwitha was baptized.
“The water from the Kateri Spring is considered holy water by the Catholic Church,” Bramble said. “People are welcome to come take the waters, and we regularly get reports of healing. We’ve sent that water all over North America to folks who have requested it.”
Besides the archaeological site, the main grounds of the shrine include St. Peter’s Chapel, housed in a former Dutch barn built in 1782; museum exhibits of Native American culture and history; St. Maximilian Kolbe Pavilion; a Candle Chapel dedicated to St. Kateri; Grassmann Hall and the Shrine office; a friary; a gift shop; an outdoor sanctuary; and maintenance facilities. The 150-acre property includes hiking trails that are open to the public year-round from sunrise to sunset.
Peace Grove at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York. Photo courtesy of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine and Historic Site
Outside the Candle Chapel, which is always open for prayer, visitors can participate in a ministry of “Kateri crosses.”
“St. Kateri was known for going into the forest, gathering sticks, binding them into crosses, and then spending hours in prayer in front of crosses she created,” Bramble said. Sticks are gathered from the shrine grounds and visitors are invited to make their own “Kateri crosses” and take them home to use as a prayer aid. Bramble shared that the shrine sends materials for Kateri crosses to those who aren’t able to visit, including recently to a confirmation group.
The feast day weekend
The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine has a schedule of special events planned for St. Kateri’s feast day on July 14. Bramble said they anticipate several hundred visitors for the feast day events this year, which include Masses, a healing prayer service, and talks. (A listing of the full schedule can be found here.)
The weekend Masses, which include special blessings and the music of the Akwesasne Mohawk Choir, “incorporate American Indian spiritual practices in keeping with the Catholic Church,” Bramble said. “The Akwesasne Mohawk Choir is made up of descendants of St. Kateri’s community who lived in the area historically.”
Bramble described numerous events each year that partner with the local American Indian community, such as the fun-filled “Three Sisters Festival” in May (celebrating corn, beans, and squash — the “three sisters” that were staples of Native cuisine), healing Masses during Indigenous Peoples’ Week in October, and a recent interfaith prayer service with Mohawk elders.
“There is a reestablished traditional Mohawk community a few miles west of the shrine, and we feel very blessed that we’ve been able to cultivate a very cooperative and mutually respectful relationship with the folks there,” Bramble said.
The Saint Kateri Shrine is also a great place for families. Events often include activities and crafts for children, there is an all-ages scavenger hunt available at the site, and the shrine’s museum is “a phenomenal educational opportunity.”
Bringing together American Indian archaeology and history with the story of St. Kateri, the shrine and its programs shed light on the saint’s story and keep alive the traditions and history of her people.
View of downtown Trenton, New Jersey. / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
CNA Staff, Jun 25, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Trenton issued an apology for co-sponsoring a children’s “story time” session this month with a bo… […]
2 Comments
Given all the attacks that have been directed at the church and pro-life centers, it should be obvious this bomb was intended to damage or demolish the church. It would appear that the pro-abortion movement has recently escalated it’s violence from just killing babies to also potentially killing any passerby who happens to get in the way of their bombs and point of view. You had to know that the new Roe decision would not end with simple death threats to supreme court justices and their families. Little by little their violence has escalated, in large part because the Democrats will do nothing to stop it, not even enforce the laws which would help stem the violence.That democrat government officials would refuse to condemn the violence directed against pro-life centers in it’s recent vote is an indictment against those democrats in particular, the democratic party, it’s entire platform, and those who vote to support them being in office. I am not young, and never in my life have I seen such corrupt, morally bankrupt and conscience-free people running our government. Those who voted them into office need to spend this Lent repenting for their actions.
I appreciate your condemnation of Catholics who continue to vote for Democratic Party candidates in spite of the many evidences that the Democratic Party Platform advocates pro-abortion/pro-death laws. Many Catholic and Protestant Democrats insist that the Democrats are the party of the poor, the minorities, the working class, the women and children, and that the Democratic Party is anti-war.” What’s worse is that they insist that the Republican Party is the Party of “rich fat cats” who oppress the poor, the minorities, the working class, the women, and the children” and that Republicans are “war-mongers.” Somehow, Catholics and other Christians must come to grips with reality. I know the Church cannot preach politics from the pulpit–but lay Catholics can speak up and tell their fellow Catholics to vote PRO-LIFE, even if that means voting for the “rich fat cat Republicans”. As Christians, we do not need the government to enable us–we are capable and ready to help the poor and the oppressed, fight racism, support companies that offer living wages and benefits to their workers, help women to achieve their highest goals, and PROTECT children!!! We’re already doing all that and have done so for 2000 years! It is the Democrats, not the Republicans, who are obstructing our efforts to do good in this world. I’m fed up with the “forbidding of politics” in the Church!!! I don’t want a “Moral Majority” movement, but I also think that Catholics need to stop living in the John F. Kennedy “Camelot” era and start wising up about their votes! If we don’t, I expect that in the near future, CATHOLICISM will be outlawed as a “hate group” by the Democratic legislatures.
Given all the attacks that have been directed at the church and pro-life centers, it should be obvious this bomb was intended to damage or demolish the church. It would appear that the pro-abortion movement has recently escalated it’s violence from just killing babies to also potentially killing any passerby who happens to get in the way of their bombs and point of view. You had to know that the new Roe decision would not end with simple death threats to supreme court justices and their families. Little by little their violence has escalated, in large part because the Democrats will do nothing to stop it, not even enforce the laws which would help stem the violence.That democrat government officials would refuse to condemn the violence directed against pro-life centers in it’s recent vote is an indictment against those democrats in particular, the democratic party, it’s entire platform, and those who vote to support them being in office. I am not young, and never in my life have I seen such corrupt, morally bankrupt and conscience-free people running our government. Those who voted them into office need to spend this Lent repenting for their actions.
I appreciate your condemnation of Catholics who continue to vote for Democratic Party candidates in spite of the many evidences that the Democratic Party Platform advocates pro-abortion/pro-death laws. Many Catholic and Protestant Democrats insist that the Democrats are the party of the poor, the minorities, the working class, the women and children, and that the Democratic Party is anti-war.” What’s worse is that they insist that the Republican Party is the Party of “rich fat cats” who oppress the poor, the minorities, the working class, the women, and the children” and that Republicans are “war-mongers.” Somehow, Catholics and other Christians must come to grips with reality. I know the Church cannot preach politics from the pulpit–but lay Catholics can speak up and tell their fellow Catholics to vote PRO-LIFE, even if that means voting for the “rich fat cat Republicans”. As Christians, we do not need the government to enable us–we are capable and ready to help the poor and the oppressed, fight racism, support companies that offer living wages and benefits to their workers, help women to achieve their highest goals, and PROTECT children!!! We’re already doing all that and have done so for 2000 years! It is the Democrats, not the Republicans, who are obstructing our efforts to do good in this world. I’m fed up with the “forbidding of politics” in the Church!!! I don’t want a “Moral Majority” movement, but I also think that Catholics need to stop living in the John F. Kennedy “Camelot” era and start wising up about their votes! If we don’t, I expect that in the near future, CATHOLICISM will be outlawed as a “hate group” by the Democratic legislatures.