CHURCH EXPLOSIONS NEW MEXICO
Explosions shock congregants at 2 New Mexico churches
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) β Two small explosions just 20 minutes and a few miles apart have shocked Sunday worshippers at two churches in New Mexico.
Las Cruces police say there were no injuries or deaths from the blasts outside Calvary Baptist Church and Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church.
The first explosive device went off at about 8:20 a.m. in a mailbox on a wall near the administrative entrance to Calvary Baptist. According to police, several worshippers were inside the church at the time, but services hadn’t started. According to churchgoers, the blast shook the building and there was debris around the damaged mailbox
The next blast came from a trash can outside Holy Cross Catholic at about 8:40 a.m. as Monsignor John Anderson was helping pass out Communion. Anderson told the Las Cruces Sun-News that the explosion shattered the glass doors, so he’s “just thankful to God nobody was standing there.”
Authorities are working to determine who planted the explosives, what materials were used and whether the blasts were related.
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168-w-32-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Monsignor John Anderson, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church of Las Cruces, New Mexico)–Authorities are investigating a pair of small explosions Sunday morning at two churches in Las Cruces, New Mexico. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. ((Las Cruces is pronounced lahs KROO’-sis)) (2 Aug 2015)
< 148-a-04-(Monsignor John Anderson, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, in interview)-“usually always somebody”-Monsignor John Anderson, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, says the explosion was in a trash can just outside the door of the church. COURTESY: Las Cruces Sun-News ((mandatory on-air credit)) (2 Aug 2015) < 147-a-13-(Monsignor John Anderson, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, in interview)-“the glass doors”-Monsignor John Anderson, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, says he continued with the Mass after the explosion. COURTESY: Las Cruces Sun-News ((mandatory on-air credit)) (2 Aug 2015) < 146-a-12-(Monsignor John Anderson, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, in interview)-“see papers flying”-Monsignor John Anderson, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, says despite the explosion, he kept on distributing Communion with the words, “Take, eat, this is my body.” COURTESY: Las Cruces Sun-News ((mandatory on-air credit)) (2 Aug 2015) < 145-a-07-(Monsignor John Anderson, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, in interview)-“was a pow”-Monsignor John Anderson, pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church, says the explosion occurred while he was distributing Communion. COURTESY: Las Cruces Sun-News ((mandatory on-air credit)) (2 Aug 2015) < 143-a-06-(Anne Marie Sullivan, parishioner at Holy Cross Catholic Church, in interview)-“this loud explosion”-Anne Marie Sullivan, a parishioner at Holy Cross Catholic Church, says the explosion occurred during Sunday morning Mass. COURTESY: Las Cruces Sun-News ((mandatory on-air credit)) (2 Aug 2015) < 144-a-06-(Anne Marie Sullivan, parishioner at Holy Cross Catholic Church, in interview)-“out the doors”-Anne Marie Sullivan, a parishioner at Holy Cross Catholic Church, says the blast disrupted the Mass. COURTESY: Las Cruces Sun-News ((mandatory on-air credit)) (2 Aug 2015) < CHARLESTON SHOOTING-INTERIM PASTOR Interim pastor of Emanuel AME awarded SC’s highest honor GEORGETOWN, S.C. (AP) β The interim pastor of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston has been awarded South Carolina’s highest civilian honor for his work in helping the community heal following the massacre there in June. Multiple media outlets report that Gov. Nikki Haley surprised the Rev. Norvel Goff when she awarded him the Order of the Palmetto during an appreciation dinner Friday in his hometown of Georgetown. Haley praised Goff’s leadership following the June 17 shootings at the historic black church. 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