Man pours juice on church altar during Mass
NEW YORK - The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn released CCTV footage on January 14 of what it called “a heinous act of religious intolerance,” which had occurred during the 9:30 am Mass at St Anthony of Padua Church the previous Sunday.
The video shows a man walking up to the church altar in Greenpoint, and pouring juice on it, splashing the priest who was celebrating Mass.
The priest, Father Jossy Vattothu, said, “During my years as a priest, nothing like this has ever happened. At first, as he approached the altar, I thought he had something to tell me. It is a miracle that the bread and wine were not damaged, and I was able to continue the Mass, consecrating the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.”
The diocese said that the NYPD’s 94th precinct responded quickly and the suspect, who was detained by church attendees, was arrested.