A pipe bomb was found behind St. Dominic Catholic Church in the Holmesburg neighborhood, one of the oldest Churches in Philadelphia.

Here’s an interior shot.

The pipe bomb was discovered between the Church and the railroad track that runs behind it.

Catholic Telegraph:

An 18-inch pipe bomb was found behind a Catholic church in Philadelphia and removed by the police department’s bomb squad.

According to a police report, a passerby found the pipe bomb behind St. Dominic Catholic Church in the Holmesburg neighborhood of the city at 1:39 p.m. on Sunday. The bomb squad removed the device and conducted an analysis of it. The report states that the bomb was a PVC pipe with capped ends and a black powder on it, but that the type of powder was still unknown. Part of Frankford Avenue was temporarily shut down while the bomb squad removed the device.

The church, which was constructed in 1896, is one of the oldest in Philadelphia. In August 2019, the Philadelphia Historical Commission added it to its official Register of Historic Places.

The area in which the pipe bomb was located was also near railroad tracks.

Philadelphia Police did not respond to questions about whether they believe the church had been targeted or whether they have any suspects, but instead referred CNA to the original police report. Neither the Archdiocese of Philadelphia nor St. Dominic Catholic Church could be reached for comment by the time of publication.

Although the target of the pipe bomb is still unclear, there have been at least 248 incidents of arson, vandalism, or other types of destruction against Catholic churches since May 2020, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ tracker. Criminal acts include churches being set on fire, statues being defaced with paint or having the limbs or the head cut off, gravestones defaced with swastikas, and defacing church buildings and property with anti-Catholic language.

We should all keep an eye on this case. Let’s not allow it to be swept under the rug. I hope and pray this is not some concerted effort targeting the Church.