Catholic Action League Denounces Arson at Sacred Heart Church in Weymouth

The following is a Catholic Action League of Massachusetts press release…

The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts today condemned the arson attack against Sacred Heart Parish in Weymouth. Fire damage was discovered this morning in two locations on the doors of the church. As with recent incidents of arson and vandalism at two Catholic churches in Dorchester, the attack occurred during the overnight period, sometime between 11 pm, Sunday, August 2nd, and 8 am, today, Monday, August 3rd.

According to an unconfirmed report by a parishioner, the remnants of a Molotov cocktail—a broken bottle with a rag extending from it—were found. Sacred Heart Church, dating back to 1882, was restored after a devastating seven alarm fire in 2005.

The Catholic Action League called the incident “a vicious crime and an appalling act of violence targeting a faith community which is still recovering from the trauma and loss of a previous fire.”

Catholic Action League Executive Director C. J. Doyle made the following comment: “This depraved act of arson against a house of worship demands an immediate, forceful and effective response from Governor Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey and Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey.”

“This is the sixth time this year that a Catholic church or a Catholic institution in the Commonwealth has been the target of arson or vandalism. There have now been more than twenty such incidents in the Bay State since 2016. These attacks must be stopped. They must be treated as the hate crimes which they are, and the perpetrators must be identified, prosecuted and incarcerated.”