A cross that had been dedicated on Father’s Day last month was found cut down last Thursday at a Christian camp in Orange County, California.
The Los Angeles Times reported:
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a possible hate crime after staff at a Christian retreat center in Silverado Canyon discovered a 14-foot cross sawed down Thursday morning, according to the department.
Deputies were dispatched to Santiago Retreat Center on Thursday afternoon and concluded that the vandalism occurred between 6 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday, according to Sgt. Mike Woodroof.
Camp staff found the vandalized cross during the first week of Bible camp, which included more than 300 staff and campers from kindergarten through eighth grade, according to a statement from the retreat center. None of the campers was staying overnight at the camp at the time of the incident.
In a statement on Facebook, the camp said:
Person With Chain Saw Desecrates 14-Foot Cross at the Christian Catholic Retreat Center @santiagoretreatcenter in Orange County, the hate crime has been reported to @ocsheriff and is currently being investigated.
The recently dedicated cross was vandalized during the first week of Vacation Bible Camp where campers from kindergarten through eighth grade arrived every day for creative Bible learning stations, singing, games, crafts, snacks, and “saintly” skits. The camp programs this week served more than 300 staff and campers.
“We will replace the cross, of course,” said [Executive Director Mark] McElrath. “Friends of Santiago are already sending donations for a new cross—and for scholarships for children and youth who cannot afford to attend camp this summer.”
The camp is seeking to raise $12,000 to replace the cross via a GoFundMe campaign, here.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
