The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has said he's praying for parishioners of St. James’ Church in Leyland, after the church was the victim of a hate crime, apparently perpetrated by one or more atheists.

On the morning of Good Friday, the holiest day in the Christian calendar, parishioners arrived to find that their church had been vandalized with graffiti. The gravestones of parishioners' family members were graffitied.

The graffiti included sexually graphic images and expletives. On the church itself, the words “god is a lie” were sprayed on the outer wall next to an obscene picture.

The Rev. Marc Wolverson described the incident as the worst he’d seen in 28 years.

He told the BBC, "I think the kind of people who would do this are just very sad, broken people.

"I don't know what would motivate someone to act this way. I feel very sorry for them."

In his message of support the Archbishop of York wrote, “For this precious holy ground to be so appallingly desecrated is deeply shocking. 

“Easter should be a time of celebration and joy. It saddens me greatly that this Easter your own celebrations may feel a little muted. Yet, of course, the story of Easter is the story of God’s triumph over sin and darkness.

“Because God raised Jesus from the dead, we know that no power on Earth can undermine his mercy and love. 

“I hope it is a small comfort to know that, alongside many others, I am holding you and your church in my prayers this Easter. I am praying that despite the horrors of Good Friday, your faith in the resurrection might be strengthened and that you will all experience anew the power of the Lord at work in your lives.”

The Bishop of Blackburn, Philip North, called it "the most disgraceful attack on a Christian community on the most solemn day of the year" and "such a sad end to Good Friday."

The Bishop of Burnley, the Rt. Rev. Joe Kennedy, joined St. James’ church on Easter morning to rededicate the church to the worship of God.

A police investigation is ongoing.

This article was originally published at Christian Today