California's Carmel Mission, which serves as the final resting place for new saint Junipero Serra, was vandalized over the weekend, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Serra was declared a saint by Pope Francis in an elaborate ceremony last week. He was a controversial figure because he was accused of using brutal tactics to convert Native Americans to Christianity.
The vandals, who struck either Saturday or Sunday, threw paint around the cemetery and basilica. The words "Saint of Genocide" were scrawled on a headstone.
Sgt. Luke Powell, of the Carmel police department, described the vandalism as a hate crime. There was a planned event at the Mission Sunday night, which would have celebrated the new saint. The event was cancelled, and staff cleaned up the grounds instead, reported the L.A. Times.
Police are investigating the incident and reviewing surveillance footage. The vandalism was not discovered until Sunday morning.
A statue of Serra was damaged in the incident. Various graves, statues and other parts of the cemetery were destroyed, according to Fox News. The vandalism seemed to target European graves, rather than Native Americans.
Several volunteers arrived at the Mission to help clean up the mess caused by the vandals, according to CNN.
Serra's sainthood was highly controversial, and protested by several Native American groups.
