ENFIELD, Conn. — The Enfield Congregational United Church of Christ is now at the center of a police investigation after police said a man intentionally vandalized a monument and bench on its property last weekend.
This is not the first time the church has been targeted.
"We have been talking about love louder," said The Rev. Dr. Greg Gray of Enfield Congregational United Church of Christ.
On Saturday around 9 a.m., police said a man scribbled the word 'sin' on the Thomas Abbey monument in chalk and the words 'moral decay' on the back of the benches.
The next day around 8 a.m., police said the same man came back and wrote 'cut off your penis for Jesus' on a whiteboard and then he placed it on the front steps of the church.
That moment was captured on the church's surveillance cameras.
Then, police said the man posted a one-star Google review with a picture of the whiteboard message and that was how Gray was notified of the vandalism.
"We have this idea that Connecticut is a blue state and it’s a safe space for the queer community, then we really get to see that there are still examples of hate," added Gray.
The church has certainly been no stranger to this behavior. On the last Sunday of Pride Month in June, the reverend said service was disrupted by hate groups.
It is moments like these, he said, that motivate him to spread his message louder.
"Some people keep talking and asking me questions well are your people scared or have stopped coming to the church and I said no, exactly the opposite," added Gray.
A little, lending library also stood on the side of the church which welcomed the community to borrow any of its queer-themed books.
The New Haven Pride Center shared their sentiments on these incidents.
"It’s heartbreaking and it’s also scary because I think sometimes living in Connecticut, we think about things happening in other states, we don’t often think of it happening in our own state," said Juancarlos Soto, executive director of New Haven Pride Center.
Enfield Mayor Ken Nelson said he has partnered with police to make sure the man is caught.
"We don’t accept it in Enfield. We don’t tolerate it and hate is something that none of us can deal with, none of us should have to deal with," said Nelson.
The monument is of Thomas Abbey, a soldier in the French and Indian wars. A family member of Abbey has agreed to make a donation to fully restore the monument.
Carmen Chau is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at cchau@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook and X.
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