The Church of the Holy Spirit was in the headlines recently when Father Cary Chan was assaulted by a man with special needs. Describing the attack, Father Chan stated, “He gave me a hard blow to the head … I feel a little shaken, I did not expect a hard blow to come from him.” According to the priest, the perpetrator, who is partially blind, may not have recognized Father Chan as a priest.
Furthermore, Father Chan shared insights into the events leading up to the assault, stating, “The incident occurred after the 9.30am Mass when the man began shouting loudly inside the church and ‘creating a ruckus.’ I had to go in and intervene and ask him to follow me out of the church.” The assailant’s agitation heightened when his backpack was removed from the church premises, leading to the violent outburst.
Despite the shocking incident, Father Chan displayed remarkable resilience by continuing to lead the next Mass at 11:30 am. An altar server present at the Mass commented on Father Chan’s composed demeanor, mentioning that he appeared ordinary and unfazed by the preceding events.
In response to the incident, the Church of the Holy Spirit assured the public of Father Chan’s safety, urging calmness and discouraging speculation. This unfortunate assault echoes a previous attack at St Joseph’s Church, emphasizing the need for increased security measures at places of worship.
