SAN FRANCISCO—On Saturday, June 27, Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore J. Cordileone, led a rosary and exorcism at the site where protesters toppled the statue of Father Junipero Serra located in Golden Gate Park. The service was recorded and uploaded to YouTube. Cordileone said, “Evil has made itself present here. So, we have gathered together to pray to God, and to pray, ask the saints for their intercession, above all, our blessed Mother, in an act of reparation, asking God’s mercy upon us, upon our whole city, that we might turn our hearts back to Him.”
Approximately two dozen worshipers and members of the clergy attended the rosary and the exorcism services.
“This is the activity of the evil one, who wants to bring down the Church, who wants to bring down all Christian believers. So, we offer that prayer and bless this ground with holy water so that God might purify it, sanctify it, and that we in turn, might be sanctified,” Cordileone added.
Statues of Francis Scott Key and Ulysses S. Grant were also toppled by a group of approximately 100 protesters during a Juneteenth demonstration on Friday, June 19.
