NJ Church Outraged At Theft Of Cherished Jesus Statue
JERSEY CITY (CBS 2) -- Parishioners at a New Jersey church are outraged over the theft of a cherished statue.
The three-foot Baby Jesus was swiped from inside the Jersey City church over the weekend, and now police are looking for the thieves.
"I know once the offering box was stolen, but this was very, very sad," parishioner Steven Edmilao said.
The stolen statue of Jesus as a child was known as the "Divino Niño."
Reverend Joseph D'Amico said a parishioner noticed the statue was missing from its pedestal inside the church early Sunday morning.
"It's kind of ironic that the statue was placed right next to the 7th Commandment: 'thou shalt not steal,'" Rev. D'Amico said. "All I can hope for and expect is that whoever has it has it for religious and holy purposes and devotion, and not any desecration at all."
The parish, which is predominantly Latin American, had raised money to purchase the "Divino Niño" in Colombia this summer. Its purpose is to bring about devotion to support needy children around the world.
Parishioners were devastated to hear the statue was snatched.
"I was very sad because we worked hard to get the [statue]," parishioner Maritza Lopez said.
"The loss of the statue is really more symbolic of the loss of the devotion, which we really hope to regain," Rev. D'Amico said.
Two "Divino Niño" statues have been donated to St. Aloysius Church since the original disappeared.
On Wednesday afternoon, as church members left for a pilgrimage to Israel, they were hopeful their beloved statue of Jesus would return before they did.
"I hope the guy who stole it brings it back because it belongs to the church, our community – not one person," Lopez said.
The statue is worth about $400. Rev. D'Amico said he's hoping the person will come forward and return the statue, and that he doesn't want the suspect to be arrested.
