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A Sydney Catholic priest has received a death threat after speaking out about Islam following the Bondi terror attack, amid two church disruptions by an alleged Muslim man.

Sydney law enforcement now has possession of an alleged Islamic death threat against a Bondi priest.

Bondi Junction’s Father Mirko Integlia, pastor of the parish’s Holy Cross Catholic Church, was handed the threat days after an alleged Muslim was removed from the church.

The apparent incident occurred twice.

Church Disrupted Twice Before Threat Arrived

In March, churchgoers told police a man entered the church, engaged in Islamic prayer, then took photos of Integlia.

The agitator left after attendants stopped him from attempting to receive Communion because he clearly didn’t identify as Catholic. This is a practice applied to all non-Catholics, including other Christians.

He then left the church shouting, “There’s just one god, that’s Allah!”

Police investigated the first incident and ruled that the apparent Muslim’s disruption of morning Mass was simply a bad “mental health episode”.

The Daily Telegraph (DT) reported on Saturday that “authorities took no further action.”

One week later, the church, which sits on the edge of Bondi Junction and Woollahra suburbs, was targeted again.

Either undeterred by a visit from the New South Wales Police or emboldened by their apparent dismissal of the incident, the 39-year-old man returned.

Father Integlia told DT, the individual “sat in the pews during Sunday services, holding prayer beads.”

Parishioners again had to ask him to leave.

Easter Security Upgrade as Tensions Escalate

Ending Lent and entering Easter, a concerned Integlia hired private security to protect the congregation and deter any potential attack.

The move was justified.

Last Thursday, the church received a letter telling the priest and the church that if they continued to talk about Islam, they would all be killed.

A press release from the Archdiocese of Sydney said that,

“Integlia had received a death threat after speaking out following the Bondi terror attack last December.

“The letter warned: ‘If you keep saying things about Muslims, I will kill all of you. If you say anything about Islam, you’ll suffer the same.’”

In the statement published on Facebook, the Catholic church said they were deeply concerned about the incident, adding that it “highlighted the need for both security and respectful dialogue.”

“We abhor any violence and threats of violence,” the church continued.

This included threats or violence against “congregants and leaders of churches, synagogues, mosques and temples.”

The archdiocese said they are “willing to work with all people of goodwill to promote religious freedom and social cohesion.”

According to the Daily Telegraph report, the threat also contained “an image of a man holding a machine gun.”

Father Integlia Vows to Stand Firm

Integlia, who also lectures in Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University, has described the letter as a “symptom of social tension.”

The threat, he explained, could be related to a number of solidarity events he initiated after the Bondi Islamic terror attack, for which ISIS took credit.

One of these events was an invitation to Sydney’s Great Synagogue Chief, Rabbi Benjamin Elton, “to speak at the church before Christmas.”

Another was projecting an image of 10-year-old Bondi massacre victim Matilda Bee Britvan at Christmas Mass.

The church posted a planned support event for the priest on 17 May, saying it was a good chance for the community to give back.

Integlia’s congregation described him as “a man who has spent his life serving God, standing by families in their darkest moments, and comforting the broken.”

The me who has guided the lost and “given his whole heart to the community should never have to face fear and hatred alone.”

“Now it’s our turn to stand beside him.”

“In a world filled with darkness, we will answer with prayer, unity, and strength,” the church’s defiant social media invite asserted.

“Let this Mass be more than a service — let it be a powerful message that our community stands together, stronger than fear.”

Speaking with The Daily Telegraph, Integlia said he won’t be censored or intimidated by threats on his life.

“It’s not the moment to hide, it’s not the moment to be afraid,” he declared.

“The best way to fight the evil we see around us is not to bring more evil. It is simply to choose good over evil. There is no other way.”

NSW Police’s special task force for monitoring religious violence and protecting citizens against it is said to be closely involved in the case.