Los Gatos United Methodist Church Vandalized

Los Gatos Monte Sereno police are investigating two recent vandalism crimes at Los Gatos United Methodist Church, 111 Church St., which have left the faith group shaken and facing damages worth thousands of dollars to repair.

According to the Rev. Jennifer Murdock, senior pastor of the popular church, the sanctuary was vandalized at 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 22.

A congregation member saw broken glass from its beautiful stained-glass windows all over the floor in the back of the sanctuary as worshippers gathered for their first service at 9:15 a.m., the Rev. Murdock said.

After investigating, the congregation member saw "all of the holes" in the three broken windows and found the Rev. Murdoc to let her know.

"We do not yet have an estimate for repairing the damage," the Rev. Murdock said, when asked how much it will cost to repair the broken windows.

The church will receive the first estimate on the damage Tuesday, Jan. 7, she added.

"Stained-glass windows are unique, one-of-a kind works of art. They are not mass-produced, so restoring the original artwork will definitely be costly," the Rev. Murdock lamented.

The church plans to get several different bids from stained-glass window artists and then proceed with the repairs, she said.

The exterior wall of the sanctuary was also "tagged" with spray paint graffiti Nov. 6, 2013, which was repainted before Christmas, the Rev. Murdock said.

"We don't have any idea who may have caused the vandalism," she ended.

Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to contact the Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department at 408-354-8600. 


Sign up for the free Los Gatos Patch newsletter | Like Los GatosPatch on Facebook | Follow @GatosPatch on Twitter | Blog on Los Gatos Patch | Follow Los Gatos Patch on Instagram