A Catholic priest has launched a stinging attack on sectarian vandals who repeatedly targeted his church in the east end of Glasgow.Father Stephen Dunn spoke out after the historic Sacred Heart of Jesus church in Bridgeton had original leaded windows smashed and a commemorative stained-glass window shot with airgun pellets. The attack came less than a week after the church marked its centenary with a Mass celebrated by Mario Conti, Archbishop of Glasgow, and attended by politicians, police chiefs and hundreds of parishioners, who had helped raise £12,000 for the repairs. Dunn said he was convinced the latest attacks were motivated by religious hatred as Catholics, including himself, had experienced many problems in the past few years.He said: “This is definitely an anti-Catholic sectarian act. “Those windows were all cleaned for the centenary Mass last week. Myself and some parishioners were scrubbing down the railings with brushes, in preparation for the centenary celebrations, and we had verbal abuse hurled at us by hooded thugs aged between 12 and 16. “It’s very hard when, as a community, we’re trying to do the best we can and you get thugs trying to suppress and upset you. “We’re supposed to be becoming a sophisticated city in time to host of the Commonwealth Games in four years’ time. But you wouldn’t let an animal come into this area for fear of its life. “Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond says he wants to eradicate sectarianism, but I don’t see anything changing.”The stained-glass window that was shot depicts the Sacred Heart’s Apparition to St Margaret Mary, and a pellet penetrated Jesus’s shoulder.
It was fitted in 1946 to commemorate the parishioners who died in the Second World War. The windows that were smashed are 40ft off the ground and are the only set not protected by metal caging.
All the windows up to 30ft high were fitted with bars and cages several years ago to protect them from vandalism, and Dunn says the priest’s house, which adjoins the church, has had to be fitted with plastic windows to make them more difficult to smash.
In the past, his front door has been kicked so hard it buckled.He said: “I am very angry that these people are allowed to do what they like to Church property with impunity. Under the European law on human rights I am not allowed to restrain them, to defend myself or parish property, because I’d be up in court for assault. All I can do is phone the police.”In 2007, Dunn wrestled with a youth who was trying to smash up the church, and held him on the ground until the police arrived. But he was accused of assault and the case was referred to the procurator-fiscal, although he was not charged.Dunn joined the parish in 2004 and says vandalism and verbal abuse began within 10 days of his taking up residence. “I was out to buy myself a Chinese takeaway and a crowd of youths shouted at me, ‘Get to f*** out of here, you f***ing dirty Catholic b*****d. We don’t want you here.” He said the previous parish priest, the late Fr Joseph Cairns, left after five years in 1998 “because he could not stand it any more”, and the St Francis Xavier missionaries who lived there until 2004 had asked to be moved after only three years. But Dunn is adamant he will not be chased out.“I’ve never allowed anyone to bully me in my life,” he said. “I can take the personal abuse, but I feel really angry that these sectarian neds have sullied the efforts of my wonderful parishioners.”A spokesman for Archbishop Conti said: “This is heartbreaking news. Alas, this is not the first time it has been subjected to attack. It is dispiriting in the extreme that a house of prayer of such quality should be the object of such wanton vandalism.”A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police added: “We are treating this as vandalism and inquiries are still ongoing.” SIC: THS