A historic church in northwest England was defaced with sexually explicit graffiti and blasphemous messages on Good Friday—a sacred day for millions of Christians. The targeted attack at St. James Church in Leyland, Lancashire, took place just days before Easter, one of the holiest times on the Christian calendar.
According to reports, vandals sprayed lewd images and vile, hate-filled phrases directly onto the church building and over 40 gravestones in the churchyard. Among the obscene and disturbing messages was one that read, “God is a lie,” a clear attempt to mock the faith of the church community and insult the very foundation of Christianity.
Lancashire Police are treating the case as a hate crime due to the targeted and blasphemous nature of the graffiti. Detective Sergeant Lee Jamieson rightfully condemned the defaced property act as “disgraceful” and a “complete lack of respect.”
Despite the trauma, the church pressed on. The Rev. Marc Wolverson, who discovered the destruction early Friday morning, made the courageous decision to hold Good Friday services as planned, standing firm in faith in the face of hate. A wedding scheduled for Saturday also went ahead, showing the resilience of the Christian community.
Church leaders attempted to conceal some of the most offensive vandalism using conifer plants while carefully navigating how to clean the centuries-old, Grade II-listed building, which requires strict consultation due to its protected status.
Rev. Wolverson, who has faithfully served the parish for 28 years, described the incident as the most distressing moment of his ministry, though he also noted that the church had faced minor acts of vandalism in the past—nothing, however, as egregious or malicious as this.
South Ribble Borough Council’s deputy mayor, Paul Wharton-Hardman, called the graffiti “revolting” and “hate-filled,” echoing the growing concern over rising anti-Christian sentiment in Europe. His message was one of unity, emphasizing that the community stands in solidarity with the church.
This attack is not an isolated incident. A recent report from OIDAC Europe found that anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe reached over 2,400 cases in 2023, including more than 1,200 acts reportedly perpetrated by governments themselves. The growing trend is deeply troubling and raises serious questions about the protection of religious liberty and respect for Christian values in an increasingly secular society.
