A prayer vigil was held at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Oak Park after swastikas and racial slurs were found scrawled out in the nursery and bathroom of the building.
The incident occurred sometime between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, according to office manager Joycelin Fowler.
In an interview with OakPark.com, Fowler says that the incident likely occurred during a farmer’s market at the church Saturday morning.
“Unfortunately, we have no idea who it might have been,” she said. “We are a church that is definitely about justice and we do not tolerate hate in any way.”
In a Facebook post, a church member said that the congregation will not be deterred from its mission of social justice.
“God’s love is stronger than humanity’s hate,” the message said. “Pilgrim will keep doing what we do and keep being who we are because it is what God wants. The light shines in darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.”
No suspects have been named in the case, and Oak Park police are encouraging anyone with information on the incident to come forward.
