Every city, even small towns, is challenged with crime. But most crimes do not have the impact that two very recent and specific crimes that rocked Pueblo have. Within a span of weeks, two Pueblo Catholic churches were targeted by vandals. One, Saint Anne’s, serves one of the poorest and heavily Hispanic communities in the city.
On September 5th, at 1:46 a.m., Pueblo Police say cameras caught a crew of five “masked people” on the St. Anne’s property at 2701 E. 12th Street. Police say the vandals removed five statues, including the church’s namesake, St. Anne, that sits on a pedestal in front of the church. Two other statues were also taken. One, a near life-sized Saint Michael that also stood on another pedestal outside the church had its wings and sword broken off and shattered.
In that incident, there have been no arrests. But an arrest has been made in an August 25th act of vandalism at Christ the King Catholic Church in the Belmont section of the city. In that incident, a juvenile suspect has been charged with two felonies. Police say neither incident of vandalism is being investigated as a hate crime.
Damage from the Christ the King fire was contained to portions of the parish hall and a number of classrooms. The incident also forced the church to move services to its parking lot while relocating educational programs to another location. Christ the King’s Father John Ozella, told the Pueblo Chieftain, “We are a resilient people of faither…while our building is damaged, our spirit remains strong.”
St. Anne’s has served as the moral and spiritual ‘ground zero’ for Eastwood Heights Catholics for nearly 70 years. It is modest in architecture and in WWII, actually served as an Army Chapel. In the 1960’s it was uprooted from its moorings at the Pueblo Army Depot east of Pueblo and moved to its current site. Its targeting struck deeply not only in Eastwood, colloquially known as ‘Dogpatch’ or ‘Doggie,’ but all across Pueblo.
“We call it our sister parish,” said Gerald Cordova, a mechanical engineer who serves as the bookkeeper at another eastside parish, Saint Leander Church. But he says he has also attended St. Anne’s on many occasions. In recent years, St. Anne’s has also become the spiritual home to a number of individuals and families who have been attracted by its simplicity and welcoming environment.
“Who in their right mind would even consider doing something like this,” wondered Cordova. The community, economically modest by nearly any measurement, he said, had to depend on the goodwill of others to repair the broken statuary.
The church’s Facebook page recently posted pictures of St. Anne fully restored and being placed back on the pedestal looking out across the community. “A very special thank you to Gino Carleo and Larry Pacheco for their hard work…in completing this special project.” Repairing the damaged statues was estimated at more than $6,000.
Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller called the vandalism to each church “deeply concerning.” Churches, he said, “serve not only as places of worship, but also as important, pillars within our neighborhoods.” When acts of vandalism like this occur, Noeller said, “they affect more than property. “The impact ripples across congregants, families, and community members,” who depend on these institutions for “faith, support and connection,” he said.
Pueblo Bishop Stephen Berg thanked the police and fire departments for their hard work in solving the Christ the King vandalism while acknowledging that things could have turned out far worse. He also asked for prayers “for a deeper understanding of the role of faith-based communities and all organizations throughout our common home in Pueblo.”
