California church severely vandalized with bleach and satanic graffiti

Interfaith group including Jewish and Muslim supporters step up to help clean up

A predominantly-black San Francisco church was vandalized with homophobic, racial and satanic references spray painted on and inside the building.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (Catholic Online) - The St. Paul's Tabernacle Baptist Church vandalism has been classified as a hate crime after smashed windows, pew saturation at the hands of bleach and satanic graffiti was discovered in the Californian church.

Reverend Greg Valentine's office had been ransacked and he told KTVU-TV, "Hurtful is deep but this went deeper. Oh, I couldn't even tell you what the cost is of the damage. The mirrors, the holes in the walls..."

St. Paul's Tabernacle Baptist Church deacon Willie Fenroy told KQED-TV, "Who could have done this to us? Why us? Because you got eight other churches in the surroundings, and we the only ones that got hit that day."

The church had spent the last five weeks remodeling and the contractor was due to add the finishing touches the morning of the discovery.

Nothing was reported missing despite the presence of instruments, televisions and a computer.

Services resumed that Sunday with a service on forgiveness. Jewish and Muslim supporters have stepped up to help the Baptist church recover while Showing Up for Racial Justice, a self-proclaimed "national network of groups and individuals organizing white people for racial justice" has begun preparations for a fundraiser to assist in church repairs.

Neighbors heard dogs barking between 3 and 4a.m. but there is not sufficient evidence to pinpoint the time or responsible group for the vandalism.

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