CNA Staff, Feb 16, 2024 / 17:30 pm
In an incident that police are treating as a possible hate crime, a statue of the Blessed Mother in a prayer garden near a prominent Washington, D.C., basilica was damaged by an as-yet-unidentified assailant Thursday.
The statue, located on the grounds of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, appeared to have been struck in the face with a hammer. Light fixtures along a walkway in the garden were also shattered.
The statue is located in Mary’s Garden, which according to the National Shrine’s website is shaped in a circle to symbolize eternity. The life-size statue called “Mary, Protector of the Faith” by Jon-Joseph Russo portrays the Blessed Mother lovingly cradling the infant Jesus. The garden and statue were dedicated in 2000.
Monsignor Walter Rossi, rector of the basilica, said in a statement to CNA that a visitor praying the rosary in Mary’s Garden contacted a staff member to report damage to the statue of the Blessed Mother. The vandalism was discovered around 2:30 p.m. Feb. 15 and was likely a recent occurrence, Rossi said, as security staff inspects the garden as a part of regular rounds.