Three incidents of church vandalism within a few miles of each other now looks like it may be the work of some kind of demonic cult. In fact they announced themselves personally to the pastor of St. Michaels Church in Tullytown.
"They announced to me that they had just moved into the area, and wanted to let me know that they were going to be here," said Rev. Michael DiIorio.
It was just after mass about 6 weeks ago. Father DiIorio was greeting parishioners, and at the end of the line were two women he had seen attending mass.
The reverend says, "That's when they told me that they moved into the area and they weren't going to registering into our parish because they were demons."
It was a chilling moment that Father DiIorio shrugged off until he started noticing odd events, like things out of place in the church. Then he heard about the vandalism two weeks ago at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Middletown.
"From that point on, once the major event took place in Middletown, then we started to have situations that took place here," said Dilorio.
Then the real shocker, the weekend before last. Someone had written sexual vulgarities in a prayer book at the altar of the Virgin Mary, and on a door.
It got worse this past Friday. They had to evacuate the school and a church after getting a menacing package. It was a CD wrapped in two letters threatening physical harm. One of the messages was identical to graffiti left on the wall of Our Lady of Perpetual Help: "God is dead."
Police are now investigating a third incident at St. Joseph's Church in Fallsington. A young man with satanic symbols on his clothing was stopped by a locked door as he tried to barge into the church this past Sunday. Investigators are looking into the possibility of some kind of organized assault on local churches.
Father DiIorio is praying and beefing up security at his church.
Reverend Dilorio says, "We're praying for each other. But we're also praying for these people who have done this."
Those prayers may soon be answered. Action News has learned that several suspects have been identified in the Middletown vandalism and police may be close to making some arrests.
