Four days after vandals attacked a northeast DC school, its principal announced that it suffered another attack over the weekend.
WTOP reported that the first incident occurred at St. Anthony Catholic School on Wednesday night or Thursday morning. A statue of St. Anthony was turned over, and the head was stolen. A window sill and playground benches were also damaged, DC police said.
Principal Michael Thomasian said he was particularly disturbed by the statue’s damage.
The following incident occurred late Sunday night or early Monday morning, about two weeks before classes are scheduled to start. The intruders entered through an unlocked window and stole $1,400 in cash. They also shattered two statues and two candles.
“I don’t know what was in the perpetrator’s mind, what was in his or her heart, but I see the vandalism, the desecration of something very special to us, and it just hurts to see it,” Thomasian said. “Never has something explicitly religious been damaged and vandalized in this way.”
Picking Up the Pieces
The Brookland school is commemorating its 100th year, but before students return in two weeks, it must literally pick up the pieces.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up by school instructor and parent of two St. Anthony children, Raquel Terry, to raise money for repairs. By Tuesday, donations already surpassed the $25,000 target by more than $17,000.
Thomasian stated that the incidents would test their adherence to the school’s motto.
“We have a theme for the new year,” Thomasian said. “The theme is, ‘Looking back with gratitude, looking forward with joy.’ That’s what we’re going to do.”