A statue of the Virgin Mary was vandalized at the Washington National Shrine.

Vandals struck the face of a statue of the Virgin Mary at the Washington National Shrine.
On February 15, a visitor reported damages to the statue of the Virgin Mary at the Washington National Shrine. The statue’s face was struck by a hammer; the surrounding lights were also shattered.
This isn’t the first time that the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception has been the target of vandalism.
Msgr. Walter Rossi says that a similar incident occurred in 2021. At that time, the statue of Our Lady of Fatima and an image of the Virgin Mary were targets of attacks.
Msgr. Rossi voiced his concerns about the attacks against religious symbols as well as for the people responsible for the attacks.
“While this act of vandalism is very unfortunate, I am more concerned about the individuals who perpetrate such activity and pray for their healing.”
The current case is treated as a hate crime, and the shrine’s security service and the local police department are actively working on solving the case.
Source: UCAnews