This marks the second attack on church property within three days that the diocese has experienced and called an “act of hatred” after a crucifix of Jesus was found vandalized and toppled over alongside a burned American flag at St. Athanasius Roman Catholic Church in the Bensonhurst neighborhood on Friday.

“We are definitely concerned that there is a pattern of hate crimes against Catholics. There was a hate crime at a Bensonhurst parish on Friday morning and now, just a few days later, this act of hatred has been discovered at the Diocesan offices,” said Monsignor Anthony M. Hernandez in a statement Monday who is a part of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“Jesus, held in the arms of His Mother Mary, was decapitated,” the diocese said.

A facilities manager was the first to find the decapitated statue on the grounds of the diocese’s administrative offices on Monday morning, diocese spokesman John Quaglione said to Newsweek. The manager located at 310 Prospect Park West immediately called New York City Police Department (NYPD) to report the vandalism.

The incident is being investigated as a hate crime by the NYPD, according to the diocese. They are working to repair the statue, which Quaglione said has been in place for around five years.

Newsweek reached out to the NYPD for comment, and a spokesperson said more information would be provided when available.

“The diocese will be notifying our churches to be on alert, and we are asking the NYPD to increase patrols in and around the area of our churches. Hatred and intolerance of the Catholic faith, and for that matter any faith, has no place here,” Hernandez said.

Quaglione said the call for increased patrols is because “it is disheartening to see acts of religious intolerance against the Catholic Church,” and added that “Catholics who I have spoken with are very frustrated that this has happened and at a time when people are just getting comfortable going back to church after the COVID-19 pandemic, the last thing we want is for people to feel unsafe attending Mass.”

This follows the vandalism that police say occurred between Thursday night and Friday morning where parish pastor Monsignor David Cassato at the St. Athanasius Roman Catholic Church found a damaged crucifix. He discovered it lying face down during his morning walk. The crucifix had been installed in 2010 in memory of his mother, the diocese said in a previous statement.

“An unidentified individual vandalized a statue of Jesus on a cross. There are no arrests at this time and NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating,” the NYPD said in a statement to Newsweek.

The NYPD shared footage to Twitter asking the public to help identify the person believed to be connected to the damaged crucifix on Sunday.

“This was truly an act of hatred and today is the saddest day of my 20 years here at this parish,” said Cassato.

“While we have no evidence at this point that this incident is connected to the vandalism at St. Athanasius, it is very unsettling to see two acts of hatred against statues of Jesus occur in a matter of three days,” Quaglione said when asked whether diocese officials believed the defacement of the baby Jesus statue was related. “The damage to the crucifix, and the decapitation of Jesus as a young boy in the Blessed Mother’s arms, are very disturbing to all Catholics.”

When the crucifix is repaired, the parish plans reinstall it in the same location.

“As we continue to see the light at the end of the tunnel of the COVID-19 pandemic, there may be people who are experiencing anger and frustration over the loss of a loved one, employment, or income. Let the Church help you through the Mental Health Services offered through Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens,” Quaglione added. “Religious intolerance is not the answer. All houses of worships must be respected and the freedom of religion be upheld for all people.”

The diocese is asking for anyone with information about the damaged statue of baby Jesus and Mary alongside the crucifix to call Crime Stoppers.