Horrific Holy Week Terror Attack In U.S. — Two In Custody

The Department of Justice announced Thursday that it charged two men in Columbia, Louisiana, with arson after they allegedly burned down a Catholic church ahead of Holy Week.

Authorities say Anthony Dillon Jr., 19, and James Dale Smith IV, 21, broke into a church on March 27 and set it ablaze, according to an official press release. Investigators allege the two had been stealing power from St. John’s Chapel for their home. After being confronted by church officials, as well as a separate man to whom they had sold a broken television, the suspects allegedly returned and carried out the attack.

Dillon Jr. and Smith allegedly broke a church window with a baseball bat and ransacked the building. The DOJ report also alleges that they stole at least three televisions and a sound system before setting the church on fire.

If convicted, the two men face a minimum of five years in federal prison and up to 20 years, along with a possible fine of $250,000.

St. John’s Chapel was the only Catholic church in Caldwell Parish, according to the Diocese of Alexandria.

The Diocese of Alexandria has since established a fund to rebuild the church. Masses will be held at an alternate location “until further notice,” according to its website.

“Worshiping where we choose is a fundamental liberty woven into the founding fabric of this Nation, and these two men are alleged to have destroyed the sole church in Caldwell Parish where its Catholic residents could meet and worship right before the holiest week in the church calendar,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Our Office looks forward to seeking and securing justice for the residents of Caldwell Parish here and hope that this case shows our rural communities that we remain present and vigilant in serving and protecting them.”