They Tried to Silence the Church. It Backfired.”Boston Church ERUPTS in Showdown With ICE — Nativity Scene Vandalized With ‘ICE WAS HERE’ After Baby Jesus Removed, but Defiant Priest Refuses to Tear It Down, Citing Pope Leo, the U.S. Constitution — and Even Calls Out Donald Trump With a Chilling Warning. Vandals struck. ICE was blamed. The priest didn’t flinch—he doubled down. See the moment he turned a vandalized nativity into a national flashpoint…..

BREAKING: Boston Church ERUPTS in Showdown With ICE — Nativity Scene Vandalized With ‘ICE WAS HERE’ After Baby Jesus Removed, but Defiant Priest Refuses to Tear It Down, Citing Pope Leo, the U.S. Constitution — and Even Calls Out Donald Trump With a Chilling Warning.
They Tried to Silence the Church. It Backfired.”
Vandals struck. ICE was blamed. The priest didn’t flinch—he doubled down.
See the moment he turned a vandalized nativity into a national flashpoint.

## **“They Tried to Silence the Church. It Backfired.”

Boston Parish Erupts After ICE-Themed Nativity Vandalism—and a Defiant Priest Fires Back**

**Boston, MA —** What began as a quiet Advent display outside St. Mark’s Parish in South Boston erupted into a national flashpoint this week after vandals removed the Baby Jesus figurine from the church’s nativity scene and scrawled **“ICE WAS HERE”** across the wooden manger.

Parishioners arriving for morning Mass found the scene in disarray—Mary toppled, straw scattered, and the central figure of the infant Jesus missing entirely. But within hours, the church’s pastor, **Rev. Thomas Herrera**, stepped before cameras and made it clear he would not be intimidated.

“This is not the first time people have tried to silence the Church,” he said, standing beside the vandalized display rather than removing it. “It didn’t work in the days of **Pope Leo XIII**, and it doesn’t work under the **U.S. Constitution**. We do not back down from moral witness.”

Herrera, who has been outspoken about immigration raids in the region, said the vandalism appeared intended to send a message—one he refused to accept. Instead of repairing the scene, he left the graffiti intact, calling it “a living reminder of what fear looks like in America today.”

### **A Confrontation Goes National**

Within hours, cellphone videos of Herrera’s remarks spread widely online, especially after he directly referenced former President **Donald Trump**, whose rhetoric on immigration he said continues to “shape the climate of intimidation” around immigrant communities.

“If this was meant to scare us,” Herrera said, “tell Mr. Trump and anyone who agrees with him: we’ve faced emperors and dictators before. A spray-painted threat doesn’t even make us flinch.”

### **Community Reaction – and Questions for ICE**

ICE officials declined to comment on the graffiti, and there is **no evidence** connecting the agency or its personnel to the vandalism. Boston police say they are investigating the incident as property damage and a potential hate-motivated act, though they have not identified suspects.

Still, the symbolism struck a chord in a parish long known for its immigrant roots. Dozens gathered Wednesday night for an impromptu vigil, some lighting candles around the damaged manger.

“It’s heartbreaking—but it’s also powerful,” said parishioner Elena Ruiz. “The vandal came to erase a child. Father Tom turned it into a sermon the whole country is now hearing.”

### **A Nativity That Was Supposed to Be Silent—Until It Wasn’t**

Herrera says he will not replace the missing Baby Jesus until Christmas Eve, as planned, and the vandalized structure will remain in place until then.

“They tried to silence the Church,” he said. “It backfired.”

Whether the culprit is ever found, the scene on the corner of E Street and West Sixth has already become something else entirely: a moment in which a centuries-old Christmas story collided with the politics of modern America—and unexpectedly, loudly, refused to go away.