SPOKANE, Wash—Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in the Garland District is now looking for answers after telling NonStop Local that they believe they are being targeted by the same group of teens.
Fr. Michael Blackburn OFM, known as Pastor Mike, said it started with teens loitering around the property. However, in November, it escalated. He said one of the teens broke his window and tried to break into his home.
“I just hit him as hard as I could,” said Pastor Mike.
Although the teens were stopped from entering his home, he said they struck again as recently as mid-May. He said they tagged the outside of the church, the dumpster, and the ramp leading to Little Hawks Daycare, which is on church property, and broke their food bank across from the church.
“It took me a while to pray for them; I just got tired of this happening.”
Since the string of attacks, the church has done its best to remove the graffiti, repair broken lights, and has spent thousands of dollars on cameras to deter the teens from striking again, but Pastor Mike hopes it stops altogether.
“I’m praying for them that they get their life in order.”
