The Catholic League has asked the District Attorney of Marin County, California to “apply the full measure of the law” to hold accountable the six vandals who toppled the statue of St. Junípero Serra in San Rafael this fall.
Bill Donohue wrote to D.A. Lori E. Frugoli saying that the Catholic League fully supports the efforts made by San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone to seek justice. It is outrageous that St. Serra, who long championed the human rights of Native Americans, defending them from atrocities at the hands of Spanish colonizers, would be disrespected.
We sent Frugoli a copy of a lengthy booklet on the deeds of Fr. Serra that was written by Donohue. He details the work of noted historians on this subject, showing how incredibly courageous the 18th century priest was. He not only fought for an end to oppression, he did more to defend the rights of women than anyone at the time.
It was not just in San Rafael where the vandals targeted St. Serra. Thugs toppled statues in many parts of California. Donohue told the D.A. that “attacks on his likeness are not from oppressed peoples seeking justice, but rather violent hordes….” Their goal is to intimidate Catholics.
Donohue ended by backing up Archbishop Cordileone’s position that “this attack on a cherished religious symbol on our church property is not a minor property crime, but an attack on Catholics as a people.”
