STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton announced that she will be reaching out to houses of worship in the wake of violence, vandalism and burglary at Roman Catholic churches on Staten Island.
“I am deeply disturbed by the recent vile events that have taken place at various Catholic churches across my district,” Scarcella-Spanton, a Democrat who represents the North Shore and South Brooklyn, said in a statement to the Advance/SILive.com on Monday.
“From the defacement of St. Sylvester’s on Christmas Day, to the burglary at St. Roch’s rectory, and the shocking destruction of the altar and statue at St. Ann’s in Dongan Hills, I am extremely troubled that this is happening in our community, particularly to our Catholic community.”
Scarcella-Spanton expressed support for the NYPD officers who responded to the incidents.
The politician said her team will connect with law enforcement and local churches “to ensure that our houses of worship receive the security and support they need.”
She added, “My heart goes out to anyone who was shook up by any of these instances, especially to the clergy and parishioners in attendance. Church is a place of peace and reflection, nobody should feel unsafe where they pray.”
An angel statue, a marble floor and other items on the altar were damaged during an incident at Mass at St. Ann’s R.C. Church in Dongan Hills on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. The Rev. Jacob Thumma, the pastor, holds a broken piece of the angel’s wing.(Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)Melee on the altar
The most recent incident took place during Mass on Friday morning, when a man allegedly went on a rampage on the altar of St. Ann’s R.C. Church in Dongan Hills.
A statue of an angel was broken and two NYPD officers were injured as mayhem ensued inside the church at 101 Cromwell Ave., sources told the Advance/SILive.com.
A law-enforcement source said the man was 28 years old.
The man snatched, tossed and damaged religious items on the altar during the 7 a.m. Mass, according to the Rev. Jacob Thumma, the pastor.
He allegedly removed the official liturgical book, and a cross from the altar. A priest asked the man to return those items and he complied, Father Thumma said.
Before the Mass started, someone notified 911, according to the pastor and a law-enforcement source.
After the Mass began, the man allegedly ran onto the altar and tore down flowers and toppled the angel, breaking one of its wings. The marble floor of the altar was damaged during the rampage.
Initially, two police officers responded to the scene. The officers tried talking to the man, but he became belligerent. The officers deployed a taser before the man was taken into custody, the law-enforcement source said.
One officer suffered a knee injury and the other a laceration to the head, the law-enforcement source said. Both injuries were considered minor.
A video circulating on social media showed the wild scene.
In the footage, two police officers, and one male assailant, can be seen throwing closed fist punches. The three struggled, knocking over flowers in the process.
One officer can be seen reaching for a taser while his colleague appears to strike the man. The first officer can be seen holding onto the man as a struggle ensues.
Authorities have yet to release the man’s identity.
St. Sylvester’s R.C. Church in Concord, pictured December 26, 2025. (Owen Reiter for the Advance/SILive.com)Owen ReiterDisgusting vandalism at St. Sylvester’s
Father Thumma is also the pastor at St. Sylvester’s in Concord, where worshippers were shocked to learn the front of their church was defaced with feces while they were inside celebrating Mass on Christmas.
The pastor said the human feces was discovered on the main doors, steps and railing of the church during the 10 a.m. Mass.
He directed the congregation to exit through a side door.
The church’s camera footage captured a man committing the act at 10:26 a.m. Father Thumma said that while the act was disturbing and he reported it to police, he feels sympathy for the man.
“He looks like he may be a homeless or disturbed person. I feel sorry for him and wonder why he did that on the joyful day of Christmas.”
The Advance/SILive.com viewed a video that shows a man approach the front of the church carrying a cup. After he passes, the brown substance has been splattered across the doors.
The rectory at St. Roch R.C. Church, 602 Port Richmond Ave., was burglarized on Dec. 28, 2025. The parish merged to form St. Adalbert-St. Roch Parish in 2015.(Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)Priest confronts burglar at St. Roch’s
In a third incident, a 26-year-old man was accused of burglarizing the rectory of St. Roch’s R.C. Church in Port Richmond between Sunday morning Masses.
Josiah Vann of Brabant Street, who was previously convicted of a violent robbery in his home community of Mariners Harbor, also stands accused of stealing cars near St. Roch’s, which merged with St. Adalbert’s R.C. Church in 2015.
The brazen break-in occurred at the rectory of the church at 602 Port Richmond Ave. on Dec. 28 at about 11:15 a.m., according to the criminal complaint.
The defendant approached the church from a rear parking lot and tried unsuccessfully to enter through some doors, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
Authorities allege that Vann was captured on video surveillance entering through an unlocked window at the front of the rectory.
A priest in the rectory spotted the defendant holding a towel inside the bedroom, according to the source.
Vann told the priest that he was there to see a different priest, but the defendant then immediately left through an exterior door with the towel, the source said.
“That’s me,” the complaint alleges the defendant told police. “I went in through the window. I took a towel. I was being stupid.”
Vann was arrested on Jan. 3 and charged with burglary, petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, criminal trespass and trespass.
The parish declined to comment.