A statue depicting the Holy Family was stolen from outside a parish in San Antonio, Texas, last week, and parishioners are praying for its safe return.
The concrete statue depicting Joseph, Mary and Jesus was missing from outside St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church as of the morning of Feb. 17. The statue weighs more than 300 pounds and was likely taken by a team of multiple people.
Father Jimmy Drennan, the church’s pastor, told KSAT news that the statue was given to the church four decades ago by parishioners Jack and Theresa Fohn, who have since died.
Father Drennan told the news station that the absence of the statue is a tragedy for everyone.
“It represents a great deal to the community,” Father Drennan said. “The image of the Holy Family represents the unity of the community as one family.”
“We must first pray for those who have stolen the statue and then do whatever we can to have it returned,” the priest continued.
“We want them to know our doors are always open and that they are a part of this community. We love them, and we just want the statue back.”
The last major vandalism incident against a Catholic building in San Antonio was in September 2020, when an unidentified man who held a baseball bat was observed walking up to the dormitory building of Assumption Seminary. The man hit the glass doors several times. Though law enforcement was notified immediately, the suspect fled the area before police arrived, according to the Archdiocese of San Antonio's statement.
As of late November 2021, the U.S. bishops logged at least 100 instances of vandalism, arson and destruction of Catholic property nationwide since May 2020.