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Pastor ‘humbled’ by gracious response to grotto vandalism
archived from: 2009-06-25
by: Chuck Moody, Associate Editor

Father David Bonnar, pastor of St. Bernard Parish in Mount Lebanon, says the Scriptures tell us, “Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.”

“Those words have really come to be so true,” said Father Bonnar, whose parish’s outdoor statue of the Virgin Mary was damaged by vandals June 8. “As a parish family we experienced a horrific act against the Blessed Mother and our faith. It was a despicable act of irreverence. And yet, there have been so many graces that have flowed as a result. Sometimes in life we don’t fully appreciate what we have until it is damaged or lost. I am humbled by the deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by people within our parish and beyond.”

The statue that was damaged was in a grotto dedicated to the Blessed Mother. A parish employee who was opening the church found the statue had been knocked over, and the left arm and several pieces of the left side had been broken off. The number “666” also was written across the statue’s forehead in orange paint.

The response to “this evil” has been overwhelming, Father Bonnar said.

“I have received phone calls, e-mails and letters, as well as donations,” he said. “I have had total strangers stop me on the sidewalk in Mount Lebanon as I walk my dog or go jogging.

“One of the more moving letters that I greatly appreciated came from our Christian neighbors at Southminster Presbyterian Church on Washington Road. In a letter signed by their pastor, Daniel Merry, and associate pastor, Kenneth White, they identified with our experience. They wrote, ‘Hurt, pain, anger, frustration and disbelief must be just some of the emotions being felt by you and the congregation of St. Bernard’s by the desecration of the prayer garden. Please know that these feelings are shared by the Southminster congregation as well.’ They then offered their thoughts, prayers, support and cooperation to us.”

It has been said that in difficult times you really find out who your friends are, Father Bonnar said.

“Well, we found out that we have true friends at Our Lady of Grace as well,” he said about the Scott Township parish. “Somehow, on the day of the incident, Father Richard Infante (pastor) found out about what had happened. He and his seminarian, Dan Gallagher, came over unannounced and assisted with the removal of the statue from the grotto.”

In almost 21 years of being a priest, Father Bonnar said he had never witnessed anything “so foul to the faith,” he said.

“As I went to check out the statue upon hearing that it had been desecrated, I was deeply saddened by what was done to Mary’s face,” he said. “But I will never forget the faces of our parishioners as they gazed at this evil act. And I was really struck by how it affected my brother priests with whom I live. Father Richard (Wesoloski, parochial vicar) met with the police and Father Barry (O’Leary, parochial vicar) attempted to scrub the markings off of the statue.”

St. Bernard held a public rosary in the grotto prior to Mass on June 16 as a result of the vandalism.

“From the very moment this incident occurred we began to pray for the person and/or persons who did this act,” Father Bonnar said. “They are certainly in need of our prayers. But the rosary we prayed at the grotto and the Mass following is a way for us as a parish to prayerfully respond to this incident.

“Whenever a loved one is hurt or attacked we usually as human beings feel a need to do something. For us, that ‘something’ is prayer. We doubt if the persons who did this will ever be found. Nevertheless, we need to pray for them. In addition, as Catholics committed to the faith of which Mary is a model of discipleship, we need to stand up and reaffirm our faith.”

Diocesan officials were particularly responsive to the situation, Father Bonnar said.

“I phoned Bishop (David) Zubik and immediately received his consolation and support,” he said. “Officials from the Office for Property Planning and Development and Office for Insurance were just as attentive and concerned. None of this surprised me because they are part of the family we call ‘church,’ and they share the same horror and disgust for what happened.

“Right now, we are waiting for a determination to be made about the statue. The big question is: ‘Is it salvageable?’ Either way, Mary will continue to hold a prominent place in our faith lives.”

“As a result of this incident and previous others on the same property in the recent past, we are having video surveillance cameras installed within the church and outside the entire campus. It is unfortunate that it has come to this, but this is clearly what we need to do. So many people frequent our church and grotto for prayer. We do not want to deprive them the opportunity to pray.”

Father Bonnar said he told the parishioners that “evil has no borders or boundaries.”

“It is real and present,” said Father Bonnar, who only had been pastor of the parish for two weeks when the incident occurred. “But as people of faith, we are charged with bringing the goodness of God forth.

“St. Bernard, our patron, had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. In my short time here as pastor, it is so evident that the faithful share that same devotion to Mary. In addition to praying the rosary regularly, it is interesting to see how many people after baptisms, first holy Communions and weddings approach the grotto to have Mary in their family picture. Truly, ‘all generations shall call her blessed.’”

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