Our Lady of Grace community prays for vandals

Vandals struck the Palm Bay parish overnight June 14 leaving broken glass and grafitti and a desecrated statue of the Blessed Mother in their wake.

LAURA DODSON | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Posted: 06.16.09

PALM BAY | Deacon Kevin Crawford arrived at the parish at 6:30 a.m., June 14, to unlock the doors. It was a special Sunday to him. Ordained as a permanent deacon only the day before, Deacon Crawford said the feeling of gratitude still welled in his heart as he looked forward to quiet prayer time in the chapel.

“When I went around the back of the buildings, I saw, and it didn’t connect right away,” Deacon Crawford explained. “When I saw graffiti sprayed all over the walls, it hit me.”

Sometime between the evening of June 13 and Deacon Crawford’s arrival the following morning at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Palm Bay, the glass doors of the announcement board had been smashed, graffiti in red and black paint had been sprayed on the walls of the activity center and the sidewalks. Someone had even desecrated the statue of the Blessed Mother holding the infant Jesus in the front of the church.

“I was ordained at the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe on Saturday,” Deacon Crawford explained. “My family all came down, and I felt a strong sense of peace that I had continued through all the years of formation and really was looking forward to actually starting work as a deacon. I was scheduled to serve and preach at all the Masses to introduce myself, but the morning didn’t turn out as peaceful as I had thought.”

Deacon Crawford’s participation in the ordeal was brief. Police matters were handled by Father Robert Markunas, associate pastor, while Deacon Crawford served Mass with Father Emmanuel Akalue, the pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Dunnellon. Father Akalue was filling in for Father Leo Hodges, pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, who was at the time flying to Jamaica for a weeklong mission trip.

“We’re still investigating, following up with leads that come in,” explained Yvonne Martinez, Palm Bay Police Department public information coordinator. “There’s a reward through CRIMELINE. Callers can remain anonymous or they can be eligible for a reward for information – 1-800-423-TIPS.”

The parish is very involved in the wider community, opening the activity center as a soup kitchen – providing free lunch every Friday – and assisting the emergency needs of the working poor through the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The center also opens as a shelter for disasters and hosts the youth group, which is open to all teens, not just Catholics.

“We’re going to paint over the graffiti … and return to business as usual,” said Martha Lushman-Zayas, pastoral associate. “We’re going to continue to do the work we do and pray for the person who did this.”

It was seeing the statue of Mary that touched Deacon Crawford most deeply and personally. “My youngest son, Brendan, is 7 and that’s the spot we stop at every Sunday and say a little prayer. That hit me more than the graffiti,” he shared. “The day was beautiful. I didn’t allow the incident to impact it, and the rest of the day was wonderful.”

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