University officials discovered last week that the statue of the Blessed Mother on Copley Lawn had been defaced, prompting several students and religious groups to plan an all-day vigil.

Unknown perpetrators painted the face of the statue black, but there were no other signs of damage, according to university spokesperson Julie Bataille.

“[The incident] took place sometime overnight Thursday – either late Thursday night or early Friday morning,” Bataille said.

Bataille reported that the Department of Public Safety is investigating the incident.

In an e-mail to the university community, Rev. Phillip Boroughs, S.J., vice president for mission and ministry, Todd Olson, vice president for student affairs, and Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., executive director of campus ministry, jointly condemned the incident.

“All acts of vandalism on campus are troubling because they undermine the mutual care we try to foster in our university community,” the e-mail stated. “That the target of last week’s vandalism is a sacred statue makes the act even more troubling.”

Boroughs said that the statue will be rededicated after it has been fully repaired.

“The initial layer of paint has been removed, but there is more to do to bring it back to its original state,” he added.

O’Brien said that the cleaning process is time-consuming because of the nature of the damage.

“It is a delicate process to care for the stone during the renovation,” O’Brien said. “No plans are set for the rededication, as we don’t know when the renovation will be completed.”

The incident has motivated concerned members of the religious community to organize an all-day vigil to venerate the desecrated statute. The Georgetown Catholic Daughters, Georgetown Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Student Association of Georgetown will lead the vigil.

atthew Brennan (COL ’10), a member of the Knights of Columbus and a Mass coordinator, said that the vigil is an appropriate response to the vandalism.

“This act of vandalism is an attack on one of the most profound images of the Catholic faith,” Brennan said. “[It is] also an attack on all who practice religion, no matter the faith. This act concerns me and unsettles me.”

According to Brennan, the vigil will begin at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday and continue for 24 hours. The vigil will begin with silent meditation and continue with prayers and the 20 mysteries of the rosary.

“[We will be] meditating and praying on one mystery per hour, with at least two students praying at any given time,” Brennan said.

An e-mail signed by Lauren Funk (SFS ’10), the regent of the Georgetown Catholic Daughters of America, Andrea Pittaluga (SFS ’10), chair of the Georgetown Interfaith Council, Kevin Kuehl (SFS ’11), president of the Catholic Student Association of Georgetown, and Joseph Kapusnick (SFS ’10), grand knight of the Georgetown Knights of Columbus stated that the event is open to everyone.

“[The organization of the vigil] effectively makes a human rosary, a chain of prayer that emphasizes our unity in Christ and our Blessed Mother,” the e-mail stated. “It is so vitally important that we draw support from all corners of our diverse campus, and show the university community what it means to respond in love and in faith to an act of such negativity and destruction.”

According to O’Brien, the desecration of religious sites is not unprecedented on campus. Recent acts of vandalism have also taken place at neighboring universities.

Earlier this month, a member of the College Democrats at the George Washington University was expelled for defacing several crosses in a pro-life club display. In December 2004, the Hanukkah menorah was stolen from Red Square, and in 2001, the Muslim prayer room at Georgetown was vandalized.

Boroughs said that the university would work to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

“There is no absolute way to ensure that this type of act doesn’t happen in the future, but as a Catholic and Jesuit university committed to interreligious understanding,” Boroughs said, “we will continue to educate our community to value and respect the variety of religious symbols and sacred spaces on our campus.”

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