A toppled crucifix outside a Brooklyn Catholic church is under investigation as a possible hate crime, Brooklyn Diocese officials said Friday.
The state of Jesus Christ affixed to a wooden crucifix was found lying face down near its perch in a grassy area outside the school attached to St. Athanasius Roman Catholic Church in the Bensonhurst neighborhood.
The parish pastor, Monsignor David Cassato, discovered the apparent act of vandalism around 8 a.m. Friday during his morning walk to greet students, and reported it to the NYPD. Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime, according to Diocese officials.
“This was truly an act of hatred and today is the saddest day of my twenty years here at this parish,” said Cassato.
“I went over and spoke to the students in the school about what happened, telling them that hate never wins. We are, and must be, a community that continues to share the message of Easter, that which is of love, hope, and forgiveness.”
