Vandal spray-paints ‘pagan’ on St. Francis statue outside Queens Catholic church

A brazen vandal spray painted “pagan” on a religious statue outside a Catholic church in Queens, cops said.

The hooded tagger was recorded on surveillance video walking up to the statue of St. Francis of Assisi in front of St. Rita Roman Catholic Church on 36th Ave. and 12th St. in Long Island City on March 21 around 6:29 a.m., then using blue spray paint to graffiti the statue and sidewalk.

The unidentified defacer then spray-painted an arrow up its base that pointed toward the statue before taking off on foot. Churchgoers discovered the vandalism soon before morning Mass the same day.

Mayor Mamdani condemned the incident, posting on X, “Everyone in our city deserves to practice their faith freely, without fear or intimidation.”

The damage to the statue was estimated at $500, cops said.

No arrest has been made.

The paint perp’s attack came on the heels of the violent targeting of another religious statue, on March 14, around 8 p.m. — this time at the other end of Queens, in Far Rockaway.

The 100-year-old sculpture of the Blessed Mother in front of St. Gertrude Roman Catholic Church, at Beach 38th St. and Beach Channel Dr., was knocked over and smashed.

No arrests have been made. The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating both incidents.

It was unclear if both vandalism incidents were committed by the same person.

The Diocese of Brooklyn, which also serves Queens, noted that both statues have been previously vandalized. The St. Rita’s statue has been defiled three times in the past two years, while the one at St. Gertrude has been hit even harder, attacked three times in less than six months, according to the diocese. The most recent damage to the latter statue is “irreparable,” the diocese said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)