HENRY, LA - Churches around the country are enforcing new safety measures to keep their congregation safe.
Last week, a teenage gunman interrupted a first communion ceremony at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Abbeville. In the wake of this nearby incident, St. John the Evangelist Church in Henry, Louisiana is locking their doors during service.
On May 16th, the church wrote on Facebook,
“It is so sad that we have come to this. Beginning this Saturday May 18, 2024, we will be locking the church doors at St. John the Evangelist church in Henry, as we have in the past, however, there will be no late arrival entries and once you are in church and leave, you will not be allowed to re-enter. Sorry for this inconvenience but it is for the safety of everyone due to the recent incidents in various churches. Please pass this message on to anyone you know that may attend our church in the future.”
“If they come late, they have to knock and someone will look through the hole. They (will) check to prove that the person knocking is not dangerous. People come here to find peace, to be safe. That’s why my people took the initiative to prove to them that everything is safe here and they have nothing to worry,” Father Manny Fernandez of St. John the Evangelist Church said.
This comes on the heels of recent attacks. Last week, a Pennsylvania man jumped out of his seat and tried to gun down a pastor mid-sermon but his gun jammed.
In February, an armed woman entered Joel Osteen’s Lakewood church in Houston, Texas. Leaving a 5-year-old boy critically wounded.
Father Manny says the push to lock the doors instead of hiring law enforcement was based on finances.
“We cannot hire somebody like a security. We cannot afford it, we are just a small community. We’re just surviving. We thank God that people are generous but to hire someone professionally we cannot afford,” he said.
Churches need to outsource law enforcement on their own dime which can be costly for small communities. New federal funding has been approved to increase security at houses of worship.
Father Manny says in the midst of adversity, it’s important for the congregation to pray.
“Put God first, when you pray, God will take care of you,” Father Manny said.
