A church in the Whitewell area of north Belfast, was the latest target of a paint attack Wednesday night. The incident mirrors similar attacks on churches in Northern Ireland in recent months.
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Rev. Peter Mercer of the Methodist Church in Greencastle said the attack was the second in two days and that although other areas of the Whitewell community were experiencing problems, relations in the area surrounding the church had been good.

“It’s annoying and saddening more than anything else,” he said.

According to Rev. Mercer, two other churches, one in Whitehouse and another on the Antrim Road, had both experienced paint attacks, although he could not say whether the attacks were linked or not.

Locals offered help in the clean-up and Catholics in the area had stopped to offer their sympathy, said the reverend.

“I was hardly out of the car when the Catholic woman across the road came to express her condolences,” he said.

The President of the Methodist Church, the Rev. Desmond Bain, expressed his sorrow at the paint attack on the Greencastle church, saying that the small congregation wishes “only to worship and reach out the hand of friendship to the area around it.”

|PIC2|Rev. Bain also praised the Greencastle congregation. He said: “I am greatly encouraged by the very practical support given by the local community in the cleaning-up operation. This bears witness to the good will in the community towards the Methodist people.”

Belfast’s SDLP Deputy Mayor Pat Convery said the recent upsurge of attacks on churches was “an alarming business”, according to the BBC.

“Places of worship were once protected by all, but now they are targets for sectarian abuse and attack,” he said.

Sinn Fein assembly member for North Belfast, Gerry Kelly, said the attack could not be justified.

“Political and community leaders need to make it clear that this sort of sectarian behaviour is completely and totally unacceptable,” he said.