BENTLEYVILLE, Pa. -- Vandals marked at least seven tombstones Friday night into Saturday morning at the St. Luke's Cemetery of Ave Maria Parish in Washington County. Crude messages including racial slurs and obscenities were scrawled in white spray paint.

"The use and some of the language and names is something that most of us would not use," said Stan Glowaski, who is a member of the cemetery’s finance committee. “I think it's disturbing and I’m curious to know why they picked certain tombstones."

Ave Maria pastor Gary Krummert has dealt with vandalism at the site before. A teen was recently prosecuted for using black spray paint to damage statues and tombstones at St. Luke’s in December of 2008.

As Krummert surveys the most recent damage, he can't believe it's happening again.

"These are loved ones here, this is something that's a connection for people to their loved ones who have gone on before them," he said.

Eager to get cleanup efforts started, one parishioner arrived at the cemetery with graffiti remover Saturday evening, trying to erase the paint and the pain.

"These actions aren't just some little fun thing. These actions hurt people very badly," said Krummert.

The pastor is hoping people in the community will come forward with information about the graffiti. He said because this is the cemetery’s second case of vandalism, he is considering extra security measures. State police are investigating.