WESTLAND, Mich. (WXYZ) — Staff, parents and students of St. Matthew Lutheran Church and School came to school Friday to see a very unpleasant surprise plastered on the side of the church.
Extended interview: 'We are praying for you.' Principal talks about graffiti discovered on church
Spray painted on the roof, side of the school and stained glass windows were phrases like 'tax the rich or burn in hell', Bible verses and explicit words.
Daniel Burk is the Principal of St. Matthew Lutheran School. He said that because he gets to the school before the sun comes up, he didn't even notice the graffiti until it was brought to his attention by a parent and student.
“We are not sure who would do it or why they would do it, but definitely someone who wants to be heard,” said Burk.
St. Matthew isn't the only church that was defaced. First Baptist Church of Westland was also hit by the vandal, who left a symbol for anarchy on each church.
While I was looking into this vandalism, I also found evidence of vandalism on several other churches in the Westland area, some of which, have already been cleaned up.
I reached out to the Westland police to see if they had heard of anything. They sent me back a statement saying:
The Westland Police Department has received reports of vandalism to multiple area churches that are believed to have occurred within the past three weeks. The vandalism consists of graffiti citing specific Bible verses and anarchist symbols.
