GLENDALE : Man Ordered to Take Psychiatric Exam

A Glendale man who allegedly disrupted Sunday Masses and threatened to blow up a Catholic church in South-Central Los Angeles because he disapproved of the church’s aid to an Islamic congregation has been sentenced to court-ordered psychiatric evaluation, authorities said Monday.

Gregory Lancaster, 47, pleaded no contest Friday in Los Angeles Municipal Court to creating disturbances at St. Brigid’s Catholic Church. A restraining order also was issued that prohibits Lancaster from coming within 500 feet of the church.

“He seemed to be annoyed by the fact that the Catholic church was allowing the Nation of Islam to share facilities there,” said Los Angeles Deputy City Atty. Zna Portlock Houston, who prosecuted the case.

Lancaster, who is white, had allegedly been antagonizing St. Brigid’s, which has a predominantly African-American and Latino congregation, since the church gave space to the Nation of Islam after its building was damaged by the Northridge earthquake.

Houston said Lancaster disrupted Sunday services by sitting in the congregation and talking loudly. He also allegedly marched around the church parking lot and shouted obscenities while wrapped in an Israeli flag, threw letters and flyers containing threats and obscenities onto church property, and told a security guard he was going to blow up the church and shoot out its windows.

Houston said Lancaster is believed to be an unemployed computer programmer. Lancaster was sentenced to three years’ probation, under which he is also required to undergo a counseling program.

Lancaster could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Deputy Los Angeles County Public Defender Steve Boysaw, declined to comment.