Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 6, 2022 / 16:00 pm
The pastor of St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Gibbsboro, New Jersey, is praying that the parish’s Our Lady of Fatima statue — which was stolen last week — is returned before the celebration of the Nativity of Mary on Sept. 8.
In an interview with Fox29, Msgr. Louis Marucci, the pastor, said that the statue was stolen by a man in the early evening on Aug. 30.
The statue, from Portugal, is one of only four in existence, according to the outlet. The statue also holds immense sentimental value for the parish community, Fox29 reported.
Marucci said that “the monetary value can’t even hold a candle to the spiritual and symbolic significance of the image.”