An official says parishioners of an eastern Pennsylvania church are upset and confused after the head of a statue of Jesus was doused with lighter fluid and set on fire.
Monsignor John Mraz, pastor of St. Ann's Catholic Church in Emmaus, said people were upset by what he called the desecration of an image of Christ.
Mraz said he was preparing for morning mass on Sunday when he noticed a bright orange light near the entrance of the church and saw the fire. Several people used water to douse the flames.
As arriving parishioners saw the damage, Mraz said, there was a mixture of anger, sadness and confusion. He said the motivation behind the fire remains a mystery.
The pastor said it will cost about $2,000 to replace the statue.
Copyright The Associated Press
