Crime mini- Episode 6- Vandalism and Faith: The Unsettling Tale of St. Clair's Church (August 10, 2003)

Welcome back to another gripping episode of In Time Crime with your host, Robin Bagayoko. This week's episode begins on a somber note as Robin shares a personal story of loss, but soon transitions into an unsettling tale of vandalism that plagued a beloved church in Queens, New York.

On August 10, 2003, the St. Clair's Roman Catholic Church in Brookville faced a series of heinous attacks by vandals that left the community shaken and outraged. These weren't isolated incidents; it was the third attack in just five weeks. From hurling garbage cans at a crucifix to smashing stained glass windows, the acts of desecration were both shocking and sacrilegious.

Join Robin as he dives deep into the disturbing events, exploring the possible motives behind these attacks and the profound impact they had on the church's congregation. Why would anyone target a place of worship? What kind of turmoil drives someone to deface sacred symbols? Robin examines these questions and more, urging listeners to reflect on the deeper issues at play.

Don't miss this compelling narrative that combines personal loss, community resilience, and a quest for justice. Tune in to uncover the full story behind the vandalism at St. Clair's Church and the enduring strength of faith in the face of adversity.

Subscribe and follow In Time Crime on your preferred streaming platform, and be sure to check back on Thursday for more captivating episodes. Thank you for listening, and may we all find peace and strength in challenging times.

Episode Transcript

(00:08):
Music.

(00:30):
Welcome back to another episode of In Time Crime.
I'm your host, Robin Bagayoko. You may hear like an echoey sound in here.
I've relocated to a new room.
So basically, this is like my studio.
So if you hear an echoey sound, I'm working on it. I'm working on it.

(00:52):
Basically, thank you guys so much once again for tuning in.
First of all, let's get that out the way. Today, I've had a little bit of a rough time.
My grandmother passed away back on July the 24th.
I believe that was the date. Yeah, July the 24th, last Wednesday.

(01:13):
So, you know, I've been dealing with that and we just had our funeral this weekend on Saturday.
So I didn't have Crime Mini.
I didn't have a regular episode, anything like that, because I've just been,
you know, dealing with the death of my grandmother.
So, you know, there's been a lot going on. I went to New Jersey,

(01:36):
then I had to go to South Carolina for her funeral.
So, yeah, it's been a lot. It's been a lot going on and I've been,
you know, trying to get back to it.
So good now. I'm good now.
Still going to miss grandma. Still going to miss her. But we're back on track.

(01:57):
So may she rest in peace. yeah
so today of course
is like I said before we're back at
it so today's Monday but I'll be posting a few episodes for you guys on Thursday
so today I'm posting the crime mini episode but on Thursday I'll be doing the

(02:21):
crime mini and two backup episodes as well for the episodes that we've missed for Sunday.
I'll be doing two regular episodes as well as a crime mini episode on Thursday, I should say.
So yes, like I was saying.
It's been, okay, let's get back to it.

(02:42):
So today's episode is short. Of course, that's what Crime Mini is all about.
So basically, today's crime is going to come from August the 10th of 2003.
I'm not exactly sure what was happening back then, but basically today's case

(03:02):
is about some vandalism.
So in Queens New York it starts out that there was a church in Queens that was
hit by some sick vandals on like for the third time in five weeks.
So in the last attack that happened the the one of the mornings a crucifix that

(03:28):
was standing and outside of the St.
Clair's Roman Catholic Church in Brookville was badly damaged by vandalism that
hurled a garbage can at it and broke the figure of Christ's arms.
So you got to think, who are these people that are out to really vandalize a

(03:50):
church of all the places to show your hate.
Don't mess with God. I'm going to tell you all right now. Do not mess with God. God is not for play play.
You don't want to mess around with God. I don't care how demonic you are.
Stay away from God because you're a earthly force.

(04:11):
You are from earth. You are a human and you are nothing in comparison to the
Omega and the Alpha. Okay.
There is nothing that you can do Nothing you can do with your human power.
But is above God. Okay. God is not to be messed with. God is not for play play.

(04:33):
So these people were going around messing with churches, vandalizing the church's
property and messing with the crucifix and things like that.
And it's like, what kind of demon do you have inside your soul where you feel
that you need to go after the church?

(04:55):
We're going to get church that's all I have to say so a
week before that had happened they said
that a beer bottle was hurled at the church and
at the church's stained glass window smashing its
protective plastic cover so they're they're
throwing glass into the

(05:17):
church to break the windows they broke
the crucifix that was outside the church and then
on August the 10th is when a wooden shrine
to Saint Teresa kept
in the back of the church was knocked over breaking its surrounding wooden box
so they say that they have no idea why this is happening and this was the Paris

(05:45):
security Elaine Bowman that said that at the moment.
And mind you, this news was back from 2003.
So you'll have to go back and look up if there was anything extra about that.
Like I said, when I do my short reports, I'm doing it from the New York Post.
And that's where I get most of my good news that I put on here,

(06:08):
the really short stuff. I get it from the New York Post.
So you'll have to go back and read on that or you can Google it up.
But this was back in 2003.
So on the attack that happened back in August, there was a trash can from a

(06:29):
wire mesh city garbage can that was left.
Shrunk across the church's garden and the figure of Christ was thrown to the ground.
Its arms were smashed at the shoulders and left dangling, still attached to the cross by the hands.
So what is wrong with these people? What are we doing?

(06:53):
Why did we do that? I would want to go back in 2003, see these suspects and
ask them, what is the purpose of defacing items of the church? What is that about?
What is that about?
So, of course, upon seeing these attacks done to the church,

(07:15):
the members are, of course, and understandably very, very upset.
That they were saying that maybe this person was very angry and very upset about
something that they are taking out on God for some reason.
They're taking it out on the people of the church.

(07:35):
They're taking it out on the church, of course, because they have no suspects at that time.
They're not exactly sure who it is or why it is,
All they can do, of course, because you are a member of a church,
this is a church, it's open to the public, all they can do is pray for those people.

(08:00):
You know, just hope that they find some kind of peace to whatever it is that they're going through.
Furthermore, the front wall of the Queens Borough Synagogue was defaced with graffiti.
And they don't know exactly what it says but all of these incidents are treated,

(08:25):
as just incidents really so the cops are trying to figure out who did it and
you know they're gonna take matters well I don't even know what to say they're
gonna deal with it accordingly accordingly.
But basically, that's just crazy. When I read this, when I read this report,

(08:46):
I just had to, you know, say, that's just crazy.
You can't play around with God.
However, whatever you may be going through, however upset you may be,
whatever the case may be, you can't play around with God.
Don't play around with God. He is not to be played around with. God is not for play play.
Do not mess with God. Go to God.

(09:12):
Ask him for forgiveness. Ask him to help you with whatever it is that you're
going through, but do not go to him in anger.
Okay? All right, so that is today's Cry Mini. Like I said, tune in on Thursday.
We'll have another Cry Mini episode, as well as two regular episodes.

(09:34):
And the meaning for the episodes not being up, I had said it before in the beginning,
just in case you were not listening all the way.
I do apologize. I will be back on my regular postings on Thursdays and Sundays,
but I was dealing with the loss of my grandmother and therefore I fell behind

(09:57):
and I do apologize for that.
So yes, check out this episode.
Don't forget to tell a friend, to tell a friend, to tell another friend,
to subscribe to In
Time Crime by hitting the follow button on any streaming media that you may
be on anything that any platform that you may follow me on just hit that you

(10:20):
need to listen to me on just hit the follow button and subscribe I will greatly
appreciate it thank you so much for listening tell others to listen today's,
episode may have been a little wonky and I'm trying to just trying to get back
at it because Because like I said, I just had to deal with the death of my grandmother.
So yes, thank you so much for tuning in.

(10:44):
Check back on Thursday. We'll be back on our regular, regular,
daggly, daggly every Thursday and Sunday.
Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day.
Music.