A WEST Belfast family have appealed for an end to sinister graffiti which has been daubed on a chapel near their home which they have dedicated to Padre Pio.
Martina Rodgers contacted the Andersonstown News in a bid to send a message to those behind the vandalism to stop.
Martina's father Brendan owns a Portakabin at the side of their home at the foot of the Black Mountain at Whiterock, which he has transformed into a Padre Pio sanctuary.
The shrine includes pews and an altar and a unique Padre Pio relic, given to him after a visit to the Saint's grave at San Giovanni Rotondo in Italy.
SHRINE: Inside the chapel dedicated to Padre Pio
On the day Brendan received the relic – a blood-stained bandage of Padre Pio – he also received the devastating news that his daughter Patricia had been killed in a car accident.
Ever since, Brendan has dedicated his life to Padre Pio, with his chapel used for a number of religious services over the years.
Beside the makeshift chapel is a large mast, owned by telecommunications company Airfibre, who supply internet access through the mast to customers. Those behind the graffiti have mistakenly linked the mast to the chapel.
The graffiti sprayed on the chapel includes 'NATO scum', 'poison in our water' and Nazi swastika symbols.
Martina is urging those behind the vandalism to stop and leave their holy sanctuary alone.
"This is my dad's Padre Pio chapel and is very important to him," she said.
"This is the second time graffiti has appeared. The word ‘boom’ has also appeared so does that mean that the chapel is going to be blown up?
"The graffiti seems to be linking the chapel and the mast with something to do with MI5 and British intelligence.
NOT CONNECTED: The Airfibre mast is situated beside the Portakabin
"It is unbelievable. I want people to know that it is nothing other than a mast to provide local homes with internet access and it has nothing to do with our chapel.
"To the people behind this, we are not up to anything. The chapel has nothing to do with the mast. The graffiti is just wrecking the local area."
Neil Whylie from Airfibre said the vandalism is affecting internet service provision to others.
"Airfibre is a local wireless broadband provider and supplies internet access through the dishes connected to local transmission sites," he explained.
"We have been locally owned and operate throughout Northern Ireland for over eight years now and supply our vital service to homes and business premises in local areas.
"Our site at Whiterock supplies local homes with internet services and is not shared with any other body.
"This has now been vandalised twice and has caused loss of internet services along with upsetting graffiti on a local place of worship.
"Our service is a vital part of the local community and gives our clients access to services that are not available in rural parts of Belfast.
"We urge the people to stop as it is affecting your own community."
