{"id":101613,"date":"2026-08-01T23:29:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T23:29:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/?p=101613"},"modified":"2026-08-01T23:29:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T23:29:57","slug":"he-presented-a-gun-dispute-over-islamic-mosque-turns-violent-at-new-mexico-catholic-parish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/he-presented-a-gun-dispute-over-islamic-mosque-turns-violent-at-new-mexico-catholic-parish\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018He presented a gun\u2019: Dispute over Islamic mosque turns violent at New Mexico Catholic parish"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A public dispute over the construction of an Islamic mosque in Albuquerque, New Mexico, boiled over into violence earlier this month when a local resident reportedly drew a gun during an altercation with an employee of a Catholic parish. <\/p>\n<p>Father Vincent Paul Ch\u00e1vez, the pastor of the Shrine of the Little Flower St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Parish in Albuquerque, told EWTN News that the violent incident on July 22 came after several weeks of tension in the community stemming in part from the priest\u2019s open support of a proposed 45,000-square-foot mosque that would be built several miles away from the parish.<\/p>\n<p>Ch\u00e1vez said he spoke at a county meeting on July 1 in support of the construction of the mosque. In remarks he provided to EWTN News, the priest said at the meeting that he would \u201clove\u201d if the mosque were built next to the Catholic parish. <\/p>\n<p>He referred to the Islamic religion as \u201cnoble Islam\u201d and as \u201ca religion of Abraham as are Christianity and Judaism.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet us not be influenced by ignorance and racism,\u201d the priest said at the meeting. \u201cWe have freedom of religion in these United States.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Ch\u00e1vez said one attendee filmed his remarks and posted the video to social media; she reportedly urged local residents to contact Archbishop John Wester in protest. <\/p>\n<p>The priest said he eventually responded via the parish\u2019s marquee sign on which he has regularly posted topical messages throughout the years. Ch\u00e1vez said he posted the phrase \u201cRacism is a grave sin against God\u2019s love\u201d on the marquee; two days later he added part of the woman\u2019s name to the sign. <\/p>\n<p>On July 22 Ch\u00e1vez said the woman came to the parish to take a video of the sign. The priest said he spoke briefly with her; he said he remarked to her that he was \u201cliving rent-free in her head.\u201d Ch\u00e1vez then went inside the parish, at which point he directed the parish\u2019s facilities manager to ask the woman to leave. <\/p>\n<p>The woman appeared to leave, the priest said, but eventually returned with another man who was reportedly her boyfriend. Ch\u00e1vez said the pair approached the facilities manager in his car while the boyfriend allegedly \u201cpresented a gun.\u201d The manager then sprayed both of them in the face with mace. <\/p>\n<p>Ch\u00e1vez said he ran out to take video of the rest of the encounter, which subsequently \u201cde-escalated\u201d with the boyfriend leaving in his car. He was arrested the next day and charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault. The priest said he was told by authorities that the FBI may be investigating the incident as a hate crime. <\/p>\n<p>Both news reports and Ch\u00e1vez himself identified the individuals in the dispute as local residents Katrina Griego and David Romero. Neither individual responded to requests for comment regarding the incident. <\/p>\n<p>Several days after the violent incident at the parish, on July 27, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ewtnnews.com\/world\/us\/archbishop-wester-defends-proposed-new-mexico-mosque\">Wester issued a statement<\/a> in which he said that Muslim residents of Albuquerque \u201chave the same God-given and constitutionally protected right to worship freely as every other faith community, including our own.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Citing the Second Vatican Council, the archbishop said the principle of freedom of religion \u201cis not limited to Catholics or Christians; it extends fully to Muslims, Jews, and all people who seek to worship according to their conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cair.com\/press_releases\/cair-welcomes-assault-charges-for-threat-targeting-new-mexico-catholic-priest-who-supported-proposed-mosque\/\">a July 30 statement<\/a> the U.S. Council on American-Islamic Relations praised the assault charges brought against the suspect in the parish dispute, thanking law enforcement for \u201ctaking this alleged threat seriously.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>&quot;No faith leader should face intimidation or violence for defending the constitutional rights and religious freedom of his neighbors,\u201d the council said in its statement. <\/p>\n<p>In a statement to his parishioners after the incident, meanwhile, Ch\u00e1vez said the altercation was \u201ca sobering reminder that words matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen disagreements become fueled by anger, fear, or hatred, they can have real and dangerous consequences,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>The priest urged the congregation to pray for \u201ceveryone involved,\u201d including \u201cthose whose actions led to this painful event.\u201d <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ewtnnews.com\/world\/us\/he-presented-a-gun-dispute-over-islamic-mosque-turns-violent-at-new-mexico-catholic-parish\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.ewtnnews.com\/world\/us\/he-presented-a-gun-dispute-over-islamic-mosque-turns-violent-at-new-mexico-catholic-parish<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A public dispute over the construction of an Islamic mosque in Albuquerque, New Mexico, boiled over into violence earlier this month when a local resident reportedly drew a gun during an altercation with an employee of a Catholic parish. Father Vincent Paul Ch\u00e1vez, the pastor of the Shrine of the Little Flower St. Therese of [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-101613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-news"],"mb":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":101298,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/archbishop-wester-defends-proposed-mosque-in-new-mexico-criticizes-anti-muslim-sentiment\/","url_meta":{"origin":101613,"position":0},"title":"Archbishop Wester defends proposed mosque in New Mexico, criticizes \u2018anti-Muslim sentiment\u2019","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Juli 29, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Archbishop John Charles Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, voiced support for a Muslim group\u2019s effort to construct a mosque in the suburbs of Albuquerque after the plan faced some community pushback.The Albuquerque Islamic Center received approval for the new mosque in North Valley in a 5-1 vote by the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":101228,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/bishop-calls-for-week-of-prayer-for-victims-of-fireworks-explosion-in-mexico\/","url_meta":{"origin":101613,"position":1},"title":"Bishop calls for week of prayer for victims of fireworks explosion in Mexico","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Juli 29, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Bishop Jos\u00e9 de Jes\u00fas Gonz\u00e1lez Hern\u00e1ndez of the Diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa in the Mexican state of Guerrero called for a week of prayer for the victims of a fireworks explosion that occurred during the patronal festival for the municipality of Cocula.The accident took place on the night of July 25\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bishop calls for week of prayer for victims of fireworks explosion in Mexico","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Bishop-calls-for-week-of-prayer-for-victims-of-fireworks-explosion-in-Mexico.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Bishop-calls-for-week-of-prayer-for-victims-of-fireworks-explosion-in-Mexico.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Bishop-calls-for-week-of-prayer-for-victims-of-fireworks-explosion-in-Mexico.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Bishop-calls-for-week-of-prayer-for-victims-of-fireworks-explosion-in-Mexico.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Bishop-calls-for-week-of-prayer-for-victims-of-fireworks-explosion-in-Mexico.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":101033,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/macron-commemorates-french-priest-killed-by-islamic-extremists-10-years-ago\/","url_meta":{"origin":101613,"position":2},"title":"Macron commemorates French priest killed by Islamic extremists 10 years ago","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Juli 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"French President Emmanuel Macron commemorated Father Jacques Hamel, an elderly priest murdered 10 years ago in his church during Mass by two Islamist terrorists on July 26, 2016, and whose cause for beatification is currently underway.\u201cWe have not forgotten Father Jacques Hamel. Ten years ago today, he was cowardly murdered\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":101338,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/parish-named-for-sts-martha-mary-and-lazarus-keeps-the-faith-on-chicagos-south-side\/","url_meta":{"origin":101613,"position":3},"title":"Parish named for Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus keeps the faith on Chicago\u2019s South Side","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"August 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"July 29 is the feast day of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. It\u2019s a relatively new feast day, implemented fewer than six years ago. The faithful might remember these siblings \u2014 especially since they are mentioned in all four Gospels \u2014 as friends and disciples of Jesus.Individually, each of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":101329,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/catholic-priest-sentenced-to-31-years-in-prison-for-murder-attempted-murder-in-uganda\/","url_meta":{"origin":101613,"position":4},"title":"Catholic priest sentenced to 31 years in prison for murder, attempted murder, in Uganda","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Juli 29, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"KAMPALA, Uganda \u2014 A Catholic priest previously suspended in Uganda has been sentenced to 31 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of a Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) official and the attempted murder of a man who tried to help, bringing to a close a criminal case that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9723,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/pope-francis-and-grand-imam-sign-joint-declaration-at-indonesia-mosque\/","url_meta":{"origin":101613,"position":5},"title":"Pope Francis and grand imam sign joint declaration at Indonesia mosque","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"September 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"[ad_1] Pope Francis speaks to religious leaders on the grounds of Indonesia's national mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept 5, 2024. \/ Credit: Daniel Ib\u00c3\u00a1\u00c3\u00b1ez\/CNA Jakarta, Indonesia, Sep 5, 2024 \/ 00:13 am (CNA). Pope Francis visited the grounds of Southeast Asia\u2019s largest mosque on Wednesday for an interfaith meeting in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1725528742_whatsapp-image-2024-09-05-at-13.43.29.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1725528742_whatsapp-image-2024-09-05-at-13.43.29.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1725528742_whatsapp-image-2024-09-05-at-13.43.29.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1725528742_whatsapp-image-2024-09-05-at-13.43.29.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1725528742_whatsapp-image-2024-09-05-at-13.43.29.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","mfb_rest_fields":["title","jetpack_publicize_connections","jetpack-related-posts","jetpack_sharing_enabled","jetpack_featured_media_url"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101613"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101933,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101613\/revisions\/101933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101613"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=101613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}