Parishioners praying at the Church of Gesu this morning — in the heart of Marquette University’s campus — were interrupted by a crashing sound.
Someone was vandalizing the church.
One individual attempted to intervene and a custodian contacted the Marquette University Police Department, who apprehended the suspect at the scene around 8 a.m.
Fr. Michael R. Simone, Gesu’s pastor, arrived shortly after police arrested the vandal. He said parishioners expressed sadness and concern about the loss of some sentimental items.
But Simone is ready to forgive, and he’s calling on others to do the same.
“If I ever have the opportunity to talk to [the suspect] I’d say ‘Get yourself sorted out and come back and join the parish,'” he said.
To Simone’s understanding, the individual was experiencing a mental health crisis and wasn’t violent towards parishioners. He believes this was not an anti-Catholic attack.
“He needs our prayers,” he said. “He needs our help.”
If anything, Simone said this incident has renewed his commitment to partnering with local mental health organizations.
The Gesu Parish underwent a $10.1 million renovation and reopened in November 2025. Upgrades included new flooring and pews, improved lighting and sound systems and a new baptismal font. Gesu also extended their hours to include more time for prayer during daytime hours.
Included in those renovations were security cameras and hotlines in the church that connect with MUPD. In addition to heightened security technology, officers do a sweep of the church every hour during operational hours, Simone said.
Most of the damaged items were from the 1960s and 1970s, aside from a statue of St. Anne which is over a century old. The church, Simone said, will look for someone to reconstruct this statue.
The other items, mostly made of plaster and wood, will be retired and buried, as is tradition in the Catholic church. Other repairs will be paid for if Gesu gets an insurance payout, Simone said.
University spokesperson Kevin Conway said even though Marquette isn’t directly affiliated with the Church of Gesu, MUPD is investigating the incident.
“Marquette University was saddened to learn that early this morning, an individual not affiliated with the university vandalized and damaged property inside the Church of the Gesu, a sacred space for many in the Marquette community,” Conway said in a statement.
This story was written by Sophia Tiedge. She can be reached at [email protected]. Elena Metinidis contributed to this report.
