The statue of Father Junipero Serra as well as others at the Carmel Mission in California were vandalized in the days after Pope Francis declared the Spanish missionary a saint.
Vandals also damaged grave sites at the Catholic mission, which houses Serra’s remains. The Los Angeles Times reported:
The vandals, who police say acted sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning, splashed paint throughout the cemetery and basilica and scrawled "Saint of Genocide" on a headstone. Carmel police Sgt. Luke Powell said the incident was being investigated as a hate crime because the vandals targeted "specifically the headstones of people of European descent, and not Native American descent."
The damage was done just days after Pope Francis declared Serra a saint in Washington, D.C., making him the first saint to be canonized on American soil. Serra is credited with bringing Catholicism to California but has been criticized for his treatment of Native Americans.
Pope Francis said Wednesday that Serra "sought to defend the dignity of the native community, to protect it from those who had mistreated and abused it."
Employees at the Carmel Mission notified the public of the damage in a post to Facebook Sunday.
"We are saddened to learn this morning of vandalism inside the entrance courtyard in front of the Basilica early this morning," the statement read. "Staff and police are in route to investigate. Apparently a person or persons broke in, splattered paint and toppled down the courtyard statue of St. Serra and other historic statues on display. More details to follow. Pray that the people how did this take responsibility for their actions on this sacred property and that they seek reconciliation."