Vandals targeted a Catholic church in Mississauga three times within a month, triggering a hate crime investigation by Peel police.

It’s believed the latest incident of vandalism at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church on Hurontario Street, near The Queensway, occurred on Sunday and Tuesday, with the first one dating back to April 19.

A white stone statue of Jesus in front of the church was spray-painted with black paint on Sunday, the church’s pastor Father Camillo Lando said.

“Our message is a message of love. If it is a crime against religion, we say ‘listen, we have to live together.’ You profess your religion, we respect you, they should respect us,” Lando said.

CityNews has exclusive security video of Sunday’s incident showing three or four female suspects.

One suspect can be seen walking through the church, ripping out pages from the Bible and throwing them at the tabernacle, and taking a cross and placing it on the floor by the altar.

On Tuesday night, graffiti was spray-painted on the front and back of the church and along the wall of a neighbouring school.

Graffiti was spray-painted along the wall of a neighbouring school near St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Mississauga. Nancy Franco/CityNews viewer

In last month’s incident, the pastor said suspects stole $2,000 in donations and broke the hands of the Sacred Heart statue.

With files from James Tumelty and Kevin Misener