Four charged in vandalism, theft of statues at church
By Larry Wahl
7/30/2007
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
MOBILE, Ala. (CNS) – After two statues were desecrated and a third was stolen from the grounds of a Catholic church in the Mobile Archdiocese, police arrested two men and two women July 24 and charged them with third-degree theft of property.
PRIEST LOOKS OVER VANDALIZED HEADLESS STATUE OUTSIDE CHURCH – Father Frank Sofie, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Tillman's Corner, Ala., looks over the headless statue of Our Lady of Grace July 23. Another statue, one of parish patron St. Vincent de Paul, stands headless in the background near the entrance of the church. Both statues were vandalized and a third statue, also of Our Lady of Grace, was stolen sometime prior to a morning Communion service. Four suspects were apprehended July 24 and charged with third-degree theft of property, with the possibility of other charges pending investigation. (CNS/The Catholic Week)
PRIEST LOOKS OVER VANDALIZED HEADLESS STATUE OUTSIDE CHURCH – Father Frank Sofie, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Tillman's Corner, Ala., looks over the headless statue of Our Lady of Grace July 23. Another statue, one of parish patron St. Vincent de Paul, stands headless in the background near the entrance of the church. Both statues were vandalized and a third statue, also of Our Lady of Grace, was stolen sometime prior to a morning Communion service. Four suspects were apprehended July 24 and charged with third-degree theft of property, with the possibility of other charges pending investigation. (CNS/The Catholic Week)
At St. Vincent de Paul Church in Tillman's Corner, a suburban area just west of Mobile, two life-size statues, one of the parish's patron and one of Our Lady of Grace, were desecrated. A smaller statue of Our Lady of Grace was stolen.
The crimes occurred sometime between the afternoon of July 22 and the morning of July 23.
"I'm mystified," said the pastor of St. Vincent de Paul, Father Frank Sofie, as he talked with reporters outside the church. "As Catholics we see these statues as much more than church property, but as sacred images of revered saints."
"I'm praying for those who did this and also for reparation for the sin of sacrilege," he added.
The vandalism was first discovered by Deacon Robert Nouwen as he was preparing for a morning Communion service July 23.
The St. Vincent de Paul statue near the entrance of the church was left headless and mutilated. The culprits apparently did the damage with a wooden sawhorse used to direct cars in the parking lot. The statue's head was nowhere to be found.
Parishioners noticed that the life-size statue of Our Lady of Grace, located on the lawn a few hundred feet from the church, had been tipped over. Its head had been removed as well.
A full inspection of the grounds around the church and school led to the discovery that another smaller statue of Our Lady of Grace, which was located just outside the entrance of the school building, had been stolen.
The St. Vincent de Paul statue was made in Italy of fine Carrera marble from the Italian Alps; its estimated value is $15,000. The two statues of Our Lady of Grace, the larger made of molded concrete and the smaller made of plaster, had an estimated combined value of $400.
The missing statue heads had not been found and police were still investigating.
In comments to reporters, one of the four charged by police, Chandler Marston, 19, described damaging the statues as a prank. The other three charged were Lisa Moseley, 19, Alex White, 18, and Shawn Killingsworth, 21. All four are from Mobile.
By Larry Wahl
7/30/2007
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
MOBILE, Ala. (CNS) – After two statues were desecrated and a third was stolen from the grounds of a Catholic church in the Mobile Archdiocese, police arrested two men and two women July 24 and charged them with third-degree theft of property.
PRIEST LOOKS OVER VANDALIZED HEADLESS STATUE OUTSIDE CHURCH – Father Frank Sofie, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Tillman's Corner, Ala., looks over the headless statue of Our Lady of Grace July 23. Another statue, one of parish patron St. Vincent de Paul, stands headless in the background near the entrance of the church. Both statues were vandalized and a third statue, also of Our Lady of Grace, was stolen sometime prior to a morning Communion service. Four suspects were apprehended July 24 and charged with third-degree theft of property, with the possibility of other charges pending investigation. (CNS/The Catholic Week)
PRIEST LOOKS OVER VANDALIZED HEADLESS STATUE OUTSIDE CHURCH – Father Frank Sofie, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Tillman's Corner, Ala., looks over the headless statue of Our Lady of Grace July 23. Another statue, one of parish patron St. Vincent de Paul, stands headless in the background near the entrance of the church. Both statues were vandalized and a third statue, also of Our Lady of Grace, was stolen sometime prior to a morning Communion service. Four suspects were apprehended July 24 and charged with third-degree theft of property, with the possibility of other charges pending investigation. (CNS/The Catholic Week)
At St. Vincent de Paul Church in Tillman's Corner, a suburban area just west of Mobile, two life-size statues, one of the parish's patron and one of Our Lady of Grace, were desecrated. A smaller statue of Our Lady of Grace was stolen.
The crimes occurred sometime between the afternoon of July 22 and the morning of July 23.
"I'm mystified," said the pastor of St. Vincent de Paul, Father Frank Sofie, as he talked with reporters outside the church. "As Catholics we see these statues as much more than church property, but as sacred images of revered saints."
"I'm praying for those who did this and also for reparation for the sin of sacrilege," he added.
The vandalism was first discovered by Deacon Robert Nouwen as he was preparing for a morning Communion service July 23.
The St. Vincent de Paul statue near the entrance of the church was left headless and mutilated. The culprits apparently did the damage with a wooden sawhorse used to direct cars in the parking lot. The statue's head was nowhere to be found.
Parishioners noticed that the life-size statue of Our Lady of Grace, located on the lawn a few hundred feet from the church, had been tipped over. Its head had been removed as well.
A full inspection of the grounds around the church and school led to the discovery that another smaller statue of Our Lady of Grace, which was located just outside the entrance of the school building, had been stolen.
The St. Vincent de Paul statue was made in Italy of fine Carrera marble from the Italian Alps; its estimated value is $15,000. The two statues of Our Lady of Grace, the larger made of molded concrete and the smaller made of plaster, had an estimated combined value of $400.
The missing statue heads had not been found and police were still investigating.
In comments to reporters, one of the four charged by police, Chandler Marston, 19, described damaging the statues as a prank. The other three charged were Lisa Moseley, 19, Alex White, 18, and Shawn Killingsworth, 21. All four are from Mobile.
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