Arrest Made After Statues Toppled at Marquette’s Church of the Gesu

Overview

• Parishioners heard loud bangs after morning Mass before discovering roughly eight statues pushed over and destroyed in the lower church.
• Further damage in the upper church included toppled candle stands and broken chairs, and the parish has not yet estimated repair costs.
• Marquette University Police arrested a suspect before 8 a.m., and officials say the investigation remains active.
• An arrest log lists the suspect as a 29-year-old man who has not been criminally charged in this case, and court records show a separate resisting-or-obstructing charge filed last week in Waukesha County.
• Pastor Michael Simone described the incident as not anti-Catholic and likely tied to a mental health crisis, said the church will keep doors open, noted possible added security, and received a pledge of support from Marquette University.