Someone broke the hands off a statue of Mary outside of Saint Mary's Church on Springdale Road.
Parishioners across Cherry Hill are disturbed about the vandals who are plaguing their Catholic churches.
Religious statues have been knocked over; hands taken off sculptures and others have been smashed into pieces.
"What would lead someone to hate so much to destroy religious property?" asks Karen Murphy.
Cherry Hill Police say there have been six cases of vandalism on church properties in the past week.
Tuesday, Action News reported damage from the senseless acts at Saint Thomas More Catholic Church on Springdale Road and the Queen of Heaven Catholic Church on West Route 70.
Someone broke the hands of the statue of Mary on Friday at the Catholic Church of St. Mary also on Springdale Road.
Cherry Hill Police have stepped up patrols at churches around the township, and investigators are calling the acts of vandalism a hate crime.
Just a few miles away in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, more than 30 statues were vandalized on the property of Saint John Neumann Church. The damage totaled more than $30,000.
Police believe the crimes are likely connected because the hands were removed from most of the statues.
"I don't think children would do this," said Murphy. "I think maybe it's someone who is maybe upset with the Catholic Church."
Karen Murphy is hoping that someone will come forward with information to help catch the person or people responsible for the despicable crimes.
"Somebody has to know something," says Murphy.
