Police say a gunman fired two to three shotgun blasts into the front doors of St. James Catholic Church on Lincoln Avenue in Jamesburg early Sunday when no one was inside.
JAMESBURG - The newly appointed pastor at St. James Catholic Church on Monday was at a loss to explain why a person would fire a shotgun at the house of worship, blasting holes through its heavy oak doors in the middle of the night.
"This is a very accepting community. It's a very peaceful community," said Father Michael Fragosa, who was installed as pastor at the end of September. "We're all saddened here."
Police say a gunman fired two to three shotgun blasts into the front doors of the Lincoln Avenue church early Sunday when no one was inside.
The pastor, who lives next door, said he was sleeping and didn't hear anything.
But others living near St. James later reported hearing at least one gunshot and a car drive off between 1:30-2:30 a.m.
No one called police.
A church maintenance worker discovered the damage shortly after 7 a.m.
"There were pellets embedded in the wall and there are holes in the door," the pastor said. "There was glass strewn all over the floor."
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One of the shots struck a framed picture of Bishop Paul Gregory Bootkoski, who was named Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen by Pope John Paul II in 2002.
A Mass planned for 8 a.m. went on in spite of the shooting, Fragoso said.
"People were frightened by what they saw," Fragoso said. "They're grieving almost."
St. James Catholic Church was built in 1957. Records show the property was used for religious purposes as far back as the 1870s, according to Fragoso.
The church currently has a congregation of about 1,700 families and offers Mass up to four times a day, Fragoso said.
The pastor said he is in the early stages of contacting the insurance company and getting the door repaired.
Police ask anyone with information to call Jamesburg police Det. Jason Muller at 732-521-0011.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.