A Bad Day leads to Vandalism and then to Forgiveness

On Tuesday morning, staff at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Robstown noticed broken cement outside the parish office: two cement benches that had been shattered. “It was messy. Everything was broken, the top of the benches toppled down,” says Father Rogel (“Ogie”) Rosalinas, SOLT.
 
But as soon as the damage became visible, volunteers from the parish and others stopped by and told Fr. Ogie that they wanted to help fix it. And so, it happened.
 Using wood and paint, the benches were already fixed and looked brand new by Wednesday. On Wednesday evening, everyone gathered and prayed.

 But the real beauty happened a few moments later: The young man who vandalized the property approached the group after they finished praying and admitted to the act. He went up to each of them and asked for their forgiveness. They not only forgave him individually, but all of them, including Fr. Ogie, prayed over him and spoke with him: “He said he was having a very bad day and that he regretted what he had done.”
 
Father Ogie even invited him to be part of the parish family: “It was so beautiful to experience that he truly went to everyone asking for forgiveness.”