Courtesy of Diocese of Brooklyn
Surveillance video shows the man entering the gate, lifting the statue over his shoulder, and exiting the property.
By Forum Staff
Detectives are still investigating last weekend’s attempted burglary at St. Gerard Majella in Hollis, according to the Diocese of Brooklyn.
On Sunday morning, a man tried to steal the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the lawn outside the parish rectory, removing the Marian figure from the grotto. Surveillance video shows the man entering the gate, lifting the statue over his shoulder, and exiting the property.
The video then shows him throwing the statue back into the rectory garden moments later after a neighbor and motion light deterred him. There was no damage to the statue.
“Sunday morning, as we started opening up the church to welcome people to pray in a special way for peace in the world, and blessings during this Lenten season, a disturbed person attempted to steal our welcoming statue of Mother Mary. Thankfully, due to our good neighbors in Hollis, this person did not succeed. This incident is sad, and a bit scary, but is a lesson for all of us that even in those dark and frightening moments God is protecting us. The light of Easter will always shine on us and Mother Mary will always guide us as individuals and as a community,” said the Rev. Josephjude C. Gannon, pastor of St. Gerard Majella.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. The public can also text their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.
St. Gerard Majella is located at 188-16 91st Ave. in Hollis.
