Marian Statue stolen from Cathedral

Hot on the heels of the tabernacle stolen from a Church in Ipoh, now it is the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit's turn as the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was stolen from the grotto.

Mark, at prayer.

The Grotto in happier times

A bit too garish for my taste.

From The Star:

PENANG: A 30-year-old clay statue of Mother Mary was stolen from the grounds of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Island Park here.

A security guard discovered the theft at 6am on Thursday and lodged a report at the Jelutong police station the same day.

The thief is believed to have jumped over the fence in the wee hours of the morning, smashed the plastic panel and made off with the statue.

It is believed the thief had thought the decorative items on the statue, including a gold-painted crown and shimmering studs, were real.

Theft: Father Henry showing the place where the statue of Mother Mary was before it was stolen on Thursday at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Penang.

Assistant parish priest Father Henry Rajoo said the statue had been placed at the garden for devotional purposes.

“Although the statue has little monetary value, it is precious to us. We hope the statue will be returned to the church,” he said yesterday.

“We had intended to beautify the grotto where the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was kept but nothing can be done now. We just want the statue back and will not penalise the culprit[Andrew:It was spoken by a Catholic priest.],” he added.

Father Henry said they would order a new statue if the old one could not be found within a week.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abdul Hamid said no arrest had been made so far.