Foothills Unitarian Church leaders have decided against pursuing criminal charges against a man who vandalized the church in an act they originally feared might be an angry political message.

A man threw a rock through a window of an auxiliary building at the Fort Collins church on Saturday night, leaving a hole in the inside wall.

Church leaders first thought the vandalism might have been meant as some sort of political message. The church has signs on Drake Road declaring immigrants, Muslims, LGBT people and other groups welcome, and has status as a sanctuary church. The signs have been sometimes torn down or removed since the church put them up a year ago.

But it turns out, it was something else entirely.

On Sunday, a man came to the church and asked to speak to a reverend. In a heartfelt confession, he admitted to throwing the rock through the window, but said it was not inspired by hate toward the church community. He said he was an alcoholic and that after nearly two years of sobriety, he relapsed on Saturday and vandalized the church.

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In a letter to the congregation, he wrote that he had turned to Alcoholics Anonymous for help recovering. One of the program's 12 steps includes making amends wherever possible, so said he was willing to pay for the window and do whatever he could to make things right, even if that meant facing legal action.

"I so respect and admire his courage for coming in," Rev. Gretchen Haley said. "I think the letter he wrote was beautiful. We received so many notes from our congregation after we sent that out (showing) respect and admiration and their own stories of addiction and struggle in their lives."

The church is not revealing the name of the man who confessed and has asked Fort Collins Police Services not to pursue criminal charges against him. Fort Collins Police Services confirmed the criminal investigation is closed and that no charges will be filed.

"We believe in ultimate goodness and inclusion for everyone, so just our core values ... would lean us toward forgiveness and compassion," Haley said. "It mattered a lot that he took responsibility and wanted to be accountable for the harm that was done and for the cost."

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