One of Philadelphia's oldest churches has been made whole again after an unholy act destroyed part of its historic past.
Back in February, after Sunday services, a vandal targeted Mother Bethel AME Church located at South 6th and Lombard Streets in the Society Hill neighborhood.
The vandal had thrown rocks through several stained glass windows that dated back to the 1800s.
The church Pastor, Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, had said the main damage was to the lower-level windows at the church.
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Tyler told NBC10 that his first thoughts were fears that the attack could be fueled by hate. He was "relieved" to learn that it didn't appear the attack was political in nature as past attacks have been.
"It appeared to be the work of just one person," Tyler said. "He probably didn't even recognize what Mother Bethel is, what it means to so many people."
The damage was about $18,000 thousand, and Tyler said when the community heard the story, they stepped up to help pay for new windows.
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"We thought this was going to be an insurance claim and that no one would even know. And it was actually thanks to the media breaking the news, kind of against our wishes, but once it was out there, it went viral in the best possible way and people would not stop giving," Tyler said.
Tyler added that a Nigerian-born artist had helped make the new stained glass windows after they had heard about the vandalism
Church leaders said restoring the windows was vital to preserving Mother Bethel's history, connection, and importance to the community.
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