TURA, Aug 29: One of the oldest Catholic Church in Daram North Garo Hills has been damaged after unidentified miscreants broke into it on Thursday night and destroyed the venerated statues of Lord Jesus Christ, Mother Mary and Saint Joseph.

According to the FIR filed in Resubelpara police station, North Garo Hills, the vandalism was identified only on Friday morning by devotees and at the time of the incident there were no parish priests because all Catholic priests were participating in a religious retreat in Tura.

The vandals did not loot any money or valuables, nor did they take away the sacred offerings. But they targetted the blessed statues of Lord Jesus, his mother Mary and Saint Joseph by destroying them.

The heads of the statues of Christ, Mother Mary, baby Jesus and Saint Joseph were completely severed by the vandals.

The attackers also tried to damage the holy crucifix placed on the upper portion of the church wall above the altar where the holy Eucharistic is celebrated, but could not succeed and instead destroyed the legs on the venerated idol.

A mentally challenged 25 year old man who suffers from epilepsy and had previously damaged other venerated church idols inaide homes in Daram village is a suspect, but police are looking at all angles of investigation.

The church in Daram is one of the oldest catholic communities of North Garo Hills.

The first converts date back almost a century when the first italian missionaries led by Late Father Rocca arrived from Damra mission to spread the teachings of the Catholic church in Daram which was part of then Assam state.