Federal officials warn Boston churches to be on high alert

Federal officials urged religious groups in the Boston area to increase security this month after several houses of worship in the area were hit by suspected arson attacks.
The warning from the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives came at the end of last week, as faith groups prepared to gather during the first weekend after Election Day.
“The ATF’s Boston Field Division said there are no specific threats, but referred to an increase in incidents in the past six months, including in the Massachusetts communities of Franklin and Kingston, and in Woonsocket, Rhode Island,” NBC Boston reported.
The leader of one of the congregations affected by the uptick in arson spoke with CBS Boston about how the fire affected his community physically and spiritually.
The Rev. Bob Poitras of St. Mary’s Church in Franklin, Massachusetts, said the fire, which was set inside the church in late October, led to extensive smoke damage that will cost around $1 million to repair.
As the church works on cleanup efforts, it has adopted new procedures to keep potential attackers out of the building.
“We don’t leave things open anymore throughout the week,” the Rev. Poitras said. “I think we took for granted in this parish, how comfortable our community is and how wonderful our community is. But it only takes that one issue, that one mistake and the next thing you know, you’re hurt.”
In addition to locking doors, the ATF has urged faith groups to install more security cameras and train church members on how to stay safe, per CBS Boston.
Federal officials have also encouraged religious leaders to reach out to them with questions and work with local law enforcement to get extra patrols in the neighborhood.
“The ATF says any community leaders, clergy and managers of facilities can contact the bureau with questions and concerns,” NBC Boston reported.
Boston is far from the only community dealing with an uptick in faith-related violence right now. Federal officials issued similar safety guidance on a national scale last year after the Hamas attack on Israel, warning that Jews and Muslims, in particular, should take extra precautions, as the Deseret News previously reported.
And in October 2021, Catholic leaders in the U.S. issued a report on vandalism and arson, noting that Catholic communities across the country were dealing with shocking attacks.
“There remains much we do not know about this phenomenon, but at a minimum, they underscore that our society is in sore need of God’s grace,” the report said, as the Deseret News previously reported.