N.B. parishioners angry after satanic symbols scrawled on church doors

The RCMP are investigating after a church was vandalized in Bath, N.B.

The graffiti has been cleaned up, but parishioners in a New Brunswick community are still angry that someone scrawled satanic symbols on the doors of their church.

Police responded to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in the Village of Bath Saturday morning. They say someone painted an upside down cross and the numbers ‘666’ on the main doors of the church in red paint.

The graffiti was cleaned up as soon as police left the scene so parishioners attending Mass Saturday evening wouldn’t have to see it.

“Definitely pretty annoyed, I mean, certainly I’ve gone there my whole life and it’s sad that people feel that they can just go there and write whatever they want and destroy the place,” says parishioner Andrew Stone.

A nearby crosswalk sign was also vandalized with what police believe is the same red paint used at the church.

“We’re looking into vandalism to a crosswalk sign that was down the road. It appears to be with the same red paint, so we’re trying to identify the persons involved right at the moment, and that’s the primary part of our concern, is just to identify the persons responsible,” says RCMP Cpl. Jonathan Holmes.

Joanne Feeney was first to spot the damage early Saturday morning. She has attended the church her whole life and says she’s very disappointed someone would target St. Joseph’s. Still, she says she’s willing to forgive the person responsible.

“We probably never will find out and yeah, I guess you almost have to, because that’s what we’re supposed to do I guess, but it is very hard to do.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the RCMP.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Andy Campbell