A “hateful” vandal smashed a statue of the Blessed Mary outside a Catholic church in Queens this week, police said.
The callous creep used a rock to desecrate the statue in front of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica at around 3:15 a.m. Tuesday, the Diocese of Brooklyn said.
“The man picked up a rock from the parish garden and began to repeatedly strike the statue, causing damage to the face, side, and hands of the Blessed Mother statue,” the Diocese said in a Friday statement.
“The hands, which were in a praying position, were found on the ground near the statue,” it added.
“Mary is a source of humility, charity, and love. Because there are people in this world who oppose these virtues, there are some who are bothered by them. It is necessary to pray for this man and for all those who are deceived by the evil one, that they may come to see the love of God. It is then that their anger against what is humble, charitable, and lovable, may come to an end,” said Father Victor M. Bolaños, the church’s pastor.
It’s unclear if the statue can be repaired, leaving parishioners “very saddened and frustrated” by the “hateful act of vandalism,” the Diocese said.
The statue was gifted to the parish by Mary Immaculate Hospital at the time of its closing in 2009.
Police are asking for the public’s help in locating the suspect and released a photo and a surveillance clip.
There are no arrests.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
In a separate incident last year, the sword of the statue of St. Michael the Archangel was damaged and replaced at the parish.