'Vision' spurred church assault

By Chris Paschenko and Melaine B. Smith
DAILY Staff Writers
mailto:cpaschenko@decaturdaily.com 340-2442 msmith@decaturdaily.com 353-4612

Destroying a church's altar was a dream realized for one Hartselle man, who claimed his decision to confront a Decatur Catholic congregation during Mass was heaven-sent.

In an interview Monday from the visitation room at the Morgan County Jail, Adam Joseph Turgeon, 27, admitted his act of knocking over a marble altar Sunday, shortly after communion at Annunciation of the Lord, was poor judgment.

Decatur police charged Turgeon, his common-law wife Lisa Marie Wagner, 26, and their roommates Val Eugene Loughman, 20, and Loughman's wife Emily Beth Loughman, 21, with felony criminal mischief, following the outburst at the 11 a.m. Mass.

"I woke up Sunday, went, pulled in and there it was," Turgeon said of why the group chose Annunciation of the Lord. "I had a vision. Lisa and me were tearing a church apart. That's not what I did. I just tore up a table that people saw as an idol, kneeling before it and bowing before an idol."

The group went inside, listened to prayers and watched parishioners take communion before the outburst, Turgeon said.

"It was so monotone," Turgeon said. "There was no passion, fire, reverence. Through the prayer they were just eyeballing everyone else and saying the words. They have no heart. That's not love. (The Bible says) Make a joyful noise unto the Lord."

Wagner told THE DAILY the group's protest didn't intend to single out Catholics but all forms of "man-made" religion.

"We are in End Times," Wagner said. "This is Armageddon, the end of all things. Basically, what we're in right now is the appearance of the antichrist who we believe to be Pope Benedict (XVI). . . . That's the main reason we chose the Catholic church. It didn't have anything to do with the people in it."

Wagner said she moved with Turgeon from Franklin, N.H., to Decatur in March. Turgeon said he moved to Alabama to start a new life, leaving behind problems with his ex-wife.

Turgeon said he met Val Loughman while working at a pizza restaurant, and the four became friends, playing cards and hanging out. Since August, Turgeon and Wagner have lived with the Loughmans in Hartselle.

Both Wagner and Turgeon deny ever using drugs, and said they were not under the influence when they entered the church.

"All man-made religions are man's efforts at putting God into an altar box," Wagner said. "God is to be loved and worshipped for what he is."

Wagner said she attended a Catholic church as a child and accused Catholics and all religions of worshipping idols.

"Early in life I was involved in a Catholic Mass as kids," Wagner said. "It's the same thing, monotone prayer, no feeling for God. They're just jumping through hoops."

Although Turgeon and Wagner believe in Christ, they don't call themselves Christians. They say they practice spirituality, not religion.

"Adam kicked over the altar, and I was busy yelling about idol worship," Wagner said. "Adam believes God spoke to him, telling both of us to go call out the evils of the Catholic church. We are followers of Christ."

Turgeon said he and Wagner were the only two who participated in the outburst.

"Pushing over the altar, I have to say it was a bit overboard," Turgeon said. "It's not exactly like I knew what I was doing. I couldn't see, and I can't explain it any more."

Turgeon said a fifth person with them, a female he called Helen who lives in Decatur, who wasn't arrested because she denied knowing anything about the incident.

Turgeon and Wagner said they believe the End Times have begun because of widespread famine, epidemics and natural disasters like hurricanes and a tsunami that killed thousands.

"I'm just waiting for an earthquake," Turgeon said.

The couple spoke of their readings in the book of Revelation, saying changes in the moon, stars and an asteroid he believes is the woodworm, were all predicted.

Both Turgeon and Wagner believe Pope Benedict is the antichrist. They said Pope Benedict changed his pallium, a band worn over the pope's shoulders, and the color of his ring.

"He changed the color to red," Turgeon said. "A symbol of the blood of the lamb. Every time he puts the ring on he's saying, 'I'm God.' "

Turgeon said he discovered the difference in the pope's attire while browsing the Internet.

The Loughmans posted bond, and Val Loughman answered his door Monday but declined comment.

People who live in the same Hartselle apartment complex on Mitwede Street said the two couples appeared normal and noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

Decatur police didn't comment on whether they considered the actions a hate crime. Police said the investigation continues.

Wagner and Turgeon remained jailed Monday each on bonds of $750. Wagner said when she posts bail she plans to continue her Bible study at a Hartselle coffee shop on Main Street.

Bible study

The owner of Coffeehouse Junction in Hartselle said the Loughmans, Turgeon and Wagner had two Bible studies in his shop. But Graham Langlois said if he had known what they were going to do at Annunciation Church, he would have barred them.

Langlois, 76, said the group didn't know that he is Catholic.

"Nobody is allowed in here who would have any abnormal ideas about church," he said.

The four showed up Friday, Langlois said, saying they wanted to help his business by having the study and bringing in customers. He said only the four met that day and Saturday.

Langlois said a detective told him that Turgeon and Wagner talked about "recruiting people."

From what he overheard, their talk was a typical Bible study, Langlois said. They had Bibles on a table along with their coffee.

Langlois said the four came in the day after a story ran in The Hartselle Enquirer addressing rumors of Wiccan or witchcraft classes in the shop. Langlois said he doesn't know why the rumor started, but he and his son noticed business slipping the past two months.

The shop has nothing to do with witchcraft but only wants to sell good coffee, Langlois said. He said the Loughmans, Turgeon and Wagner did not act "screwy."

Church members

The Loughmans are both members of Flint Baptist Church but rarely attend, said the Rev. Billy Cagle, pastor.

He said he could recall seeing them at church only two times in 1 years, once for a directory photo and once for worship.

Cagle said he and Flint Baptist are not anti-Catholic and the couple did not get their beliefs there. He said the Loughmans appear "real impressionable."

Cagle called the Rev. Joe Culotta, pastor of Annunciation, on Monday to assure him of their concern.

"We wanted to make sure he knows that they did not get (their attitudes) from us," Cagle said.

Hurtful act

Culotta said Cagle's call touched him, and he appreciates the contact. Culotta said he does not harbor anger toward the four but is hurt. He said the most painful thing was the intentional breaking of the altar.

"We had just celebrated the Eucharist on it. . . . We felt violated," he said.

The grown men who witnessed the altar breaking shed tears over that, not out of fear, he said.

The altar was made of marble left from a 1950s remodeling of a cathedral in Mobile, said parish officers. St. Ann, the original name of the Decatur parish, used the marble in several altar configurations and remodelings.

The altar has more sentimental and spiritual than monetary worth, Culotta said.

The pastor was impressed with how worshippers tried to reason peacefully with the intruders after they shouted and pushed over the altar.

"I was really proud of them," he said.

The Catholic church does not worship idols but uses items as symbols of faith, said church leaders. They question how critics could judge what Catholics feel in their hearts when they use crosses or other symbols of Christianity in worship.

The four charged Sunday did not read a DAILY religion story published the previous day about relics at Annunciation, Wagner said.

When asked what church Turgeon would target next he replied there would be no further, "acts of destruction." Wagner agreed.

"The only remorse I feel is that it had to come to this before anyone actually could see what they were doing," Wagner said. "And they still don't see it. It wasn't intended to be like that, Mass desecration. We're not doing anything like this again. We're all very peaceful people. We didn't intend to hurt anyone and no one was physically hurt. We made sure of this."

What's next?

Culotta said the church Pastoral Council decided Monday night to set up a security committee to form a plan in case of future incidents and to consider adding security cameras and making other changes. That recommendation came from police Chief Joel Gilliam, who attended the session. Gilliam said the incident seemed "contained" but cautioned against possible copycat crimes, the pastor said.

Culotta also said the church would send a letter to parishioners describing what happened and outlining steps being taken. He said the staff would contact Catholic Family Services in Huntsville to get help in counseling members, especially families with young children.

The pastor said he would have listening sessions after each Mass this weekend so people can talk about the incident.

The Rev. Pat Tierney of Tuscumbia, dean of the northwest area of the diocese, has called a meeting Thursday to ponder how churches might handle security differently, Culotta said.

Bishop David E. Foley will be at St. Ann Catholic School on Friday and at the church Saturday in celebration of the school's 50th anniversary. Culotta said Foley would surely take the opportunity to reassure the school children, Culotta said.

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