Stolen St. Rita Statue Repaired, Back In Position At South Philadelphia Church
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A statue of a saint that went missing last Friday is now repaired and back in position at a South Philadelphia church. The 100-pound statue disappeared last Friday morning from the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia on Broad Street.
It was found on Saturday.
The statue had been abandoned about seven blocks away from the church on 16th and Webster Streets.
It needed a few minor repairs before being returned to the grotto.
The shrine director said he's grateful the statue was found so quickly.
"Our message is that whoever took the statue, we want to extend forgiveness. That's what way we build peace in our community and in our city and in our world," Jonathan Jerome said.
The glass was not broken when the sculpture disappeared.
The theft remains under investigation.
