Archbishop of York voices support for parish following ‘hate crime’ on church

The Archbishop of York has sent a message of support to a Lancashire parish after a church and gravestones were vandalised on Good Friday.

Lewd images and offensive phrases were daubed on the walls of St James Church in Leyland, near Preston, as well as on dozens of gravestones, forcing the church to hide the graffiti with plants before a wedding on Saturday.

Lancashire Police said the “disgraceful act of vandalism” was “being treated as a hate crime”, and no arrests have been made, while inquiries continue.

On Monday, the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell sent a message of support to the vicar Marc Wolverson and the people of the Lancashire Church of England parish.

In his letter, the archbishop said: “For this precious holy ground to be so appallingly desecrated is deeply shocking.

“Easter should be a time of celebration and joy.

“It saddens me greatly that this Easter your own celebrations may feel a little muted.”

He added: “Yet, of course, the story of Easter is the story of God’s triumph over sin and darkness.

“Because God raised Jesus from the dead, we know that no power on earth can undermine his mercy and love.

“I hope it is a small comfort to know that, alongside many others, I am holding you and your church in my prayers this Easter.

“I am praying that despite the horrors of Good Friday, your faith in the resurrection might be strengthened and that you will all experience anew the power of the Lord at work in your lives.”

Rt Rev Philip North, Bishop of Blackburn, also voiced support for the parish, saying: “It is good news that the police are taking this disgraceful and shocking incident with a great deal of seriousness and are treating it as a hate crime.”

Mr Wolverson said on Monday the church carried on with their services as usual over the Easter Weekend, including a wedding on Saturday.

He said: “Our whole church community is hugely grateful for the support offered to us by the Archbishop, our bishops and the people of Leyland.

“We are also grateful to the police for the way they have dealt with this matter.

“My first reaction was heartbreak at the actions of these individuals who perpetrated this crime; I feel very sorry for them.

“It’s the worst thing I’ve had to deal with as a vicar.

“But, in the days since, the way we have seen the people of Leyland rally round to help has been so uplifting.

“The wedding we had planned on Saturday was able to go ahead and we have continued with all our services across the Easter weekend … one of the holiest periods in the Christian calendar.”

Local councillor Paul Wharton-Hardman said members of the local community gathered to start cleaning the graffiti off the walls and over 40 gravestones from 6am on Saturday morning.

In a Facebook post, the Labour deputy mayor for South Ribble Borough Council added: “The community got together through fumes and tears, they helped restore dignity to every stone they touched.

“The work isn’t finished yet, but it’s well on the way.”