SW News: St Joseph Catholic church in Salem, Oregon, was damaged by a fire on Thursday, August 31. A person has been arrested in connection with the incident. “Due to the suspicious circumstances of the fire, arson detectives from the Salem Police Felony Crimes Unit responded to the scene for the investigation, resulting in the arrest of Billy James Sweeten, age 48,” the Salem police department said in a statement.

Following the incident, Portland Archbishop Alexander K. Sample celebrated a Mass in the parking lot of the church at noon. The archbishop asked the faithful to pray the Memorare in solidarity with the people of the parish.

According to the tracker of the political advocacy group CatholicVote, 351 Catholic churches were attacked across the United States since May 2020. The attacks include “acts of arson which damaged or destroyed historic churches; spray-painting and graffiti of satanic messages; rocks and bricks thrown through windows; statues destroyed (often with heads cut off); and illegal disruptions of Mass.”