Anger over desecration of Virgin Mary statue

Posted By: October 10, 2017

“There was a recent attempt to shut me up from condemning examples of on-going acts of anti-Catholic sectarianism in Northern Ireland. I don’t know which offended me the most: the lack of knowledge regarding the historic and on-going reality of such sectarianism or that the person actually thought he could silence me after a lifetime of my exposing injustice in The North.

And, now,  the Irish News (below) reveals a most disturbing example of anti-Catholic hatred and bigotry —not to mention blasphemy: the desecration of a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary erected to honor a nearby Mass Rock.

This is a particularly ugly and vicious act meant to show total contempt for Catholics. It is also Scripturally and theologically anti-Christ. All Christians who take the Incarnation seriously, take Mary seriously because in God’s plan of salvation, she was the one who made the Incarnation possible— and, therefore, our salvation possible.

I know and respect that my Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters see Salvation in a different way, but all Christians must —as the New Testament commands—  honor Mary: ‘… all generations will call me 

[Mary] blessed.’ (Luke 1:48).

May God forgive the demented person/s who desecrated ‘Our Lady of Crockanboy Hill.’”

—Fr. Sean Mc Manus

 

Anger over desecration of Virgin Mary statue 

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DISGUSTING?: There has been shock over the desecration of the statue 

at Crockanboy Hill near Greencastle

Brendan Hughes. Irish News. Belfast. Tuesday, October 10, 2017

A STATUE of the Virgin Mary has been desecrated near Greencastle in Co Tyrone.

The word ‘whore’ was scrawled in red paint across the 8ft-high figure, which is sited at Crockanboy Hill close to a Mass rock.

Sinn Féin councilor Seán Clarke described the incident as “disgusting” and “the depths of depravity”.

“The motives behind what has happened are as yet unclear but it is suffice to say that whoever is responsible has stooped to the depths of depravity in a warped effort to cause the utmost offense and hurt possible,” he said.

SDLP councilor Rosemarie Shields expressed shock and said she could not understand why the statue was targeted.

The area is at the center of controversy over plans by Canadian mining company Dalradian to develop a gold mine and processing plant.

Some residents strongly oppose the plan on health and environmental grounds, but the company insists the plant will minimise impacts on the environment and wildlife.

There have also been concerns raised that the Mass rock is under threat from the plans, but Dalradian says it has “no evidence” of a Mass rock
on its land.