#USA #NM – A man was charged with aggravated assault after allegedly pointing a firearm at a Catholic priest and a parish employee in late July, following weeks of tension over a proposed mosque in the city’s North Valley.
The dispute began after the Bernalillo County Planning Commission approved plans for the Albuquerque Islamic Center’s campus on July 1, 2026. During the public hearing, Father Vincent Paul Chávez, pastor of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Parish, spoke briefly in favor of the project. He said he hoped opposition was not rooted in racism, which he described as a grievous sin against God’s love, and affirmed the principle of religious freedom.
Katrina Griego, a local resident opposed to the mosque, recorded Father Chávez’s remarks and posted the video on Facebook. She repeatedly urged others to contact the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and demand the priest’s removal. In response, the parish displayed a message on its outdoor sign that read “Racism, a grave sin against God’s love” and included “Katrina G.” beneath the text.
On July 22, Griego filmed the sign outside the church. Father Chávez approached her and spoke about the spiritual consequences of racism, referencing shared Christian faith. Parish staff then asked her to leave the property. Griego contacted her partner, David Romero, 72, who arrived shortly afterward.
An altercation developed between Romero and the parish facilities director. According to police and video recorded by Father Chávez, Romero retrieved a gun from his vehicle and pointed it at the facilities director and the priest. The facilities director used pepper spray on Romero and Griego. No one was injured. Romero left the scene and was later arrested. He was charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault. A status conference was scheduled for late August.
Father Chávez later told local media that when informed of the gun, he replied, “Shoot me. I don’t care. I’m ready to go. We have a good God over here.”
On July 27, Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe issued a statement defending the right of Muslims to worship freely. He wrote that Muslim residents “have the same God-given and constitutionally protected right to worship freely as every other faith community, including our own.” Citing the Second Vatican Council document Dignitatis Humanae, the archbishop said religious liberty was essential to human dignity and applied universally. He stated that supporting the construction of a mosque was consistent with Catholic teaching and that anti-Muslim sentiment had no place in the heart of a Christian.
In the days that followed, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders gathered at the parish to call for unity, respect, and peaceful coexistence. They condemned the violence and any hostility directed at the Muslim community.
Romero’s attorney was not immediately identified in early reports. Griego indicated she planned to hire legal counsel. The mosque project itself had already received planning approval prior to the July 22 confrontation. Local media and Catholic outlets continued to cover the interfaith response and the legal proceedings.
Image: St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Parish in Albuquerque.
