Virgin Mary statue in Weymouth [Massachusetts] destroyed [Ecumenical]

Boston Globe ^ | 05/18/2010 | Stefanie Geisler

[Pyro7480]

A statue of the Virgin Mary was vandalized and destroyed outside a Catholic church in Weymouth on Sunday, breaking it into three pieces in a crime that shocked the community, the church's pastor said today.

"Right now, all I can say is I'm considering it a hate crime," said the Rev. Bill Salmon, who has been with the Immaculate Conception church for six years. "I don't know what their actual motivation would be, but when you start moving the base of a statue, you know it's deliberate."

Salmon said one of his parishioners notified him of the vandalism after an evening service ended at 8 p.m.

"They moved the whole thing, the base and the statue, and toppled it," Salmon said....

The statue was put in the church's grotto in 1944. It was dedicated to 16 men who died in World War II, Salmon said....

The church will attempt to have the statue repaired, Salmon said. If that is not possible, it will be replaced.

The new statue will be rededicated to the fallen men in a ceremony, Salmon said....

[Pyro7480]

May the vandals be brought to justice...

[Pyro7480]

Catholic ping!

[netmilsmom]

>>in a crime that shocked the community<<

LOLOLOL!

Oh sure, shocked just shocked.
This in Boston where being Catholic means you wear a crucifix and vote Obama the Baby Killer and his ilk.

[Tax-chick]

There was a similar incident here in Charlotte just a few weeks ago. “Satin’s” followers just can’t stand the Blessed Mother.

[TSgt]

Disgusting regardless of one’s faith.

Attacks on symbols of Christianity are becoming more common. A church can’t even have a nativity display without an armed guard watching over baby Jesus.

[markomalley]

The Immaculate Conception Grotto

This World War II memorial, historically known as "The Grotto Of Our Lady Of Lourdes", is located on the Immaculate Church property directly behind the Recreation Center. One of the tablets there reads- In prayerful tribute to the men from the Immaculate Conception Parish who gave to their country the last full measure of devotion in World War II.

It was the idea of Reverend John W. Mahoney to construct a fitting tribute to those boys that had attended the Immaculate Conception Church, when it became apparent that some had given their lives in defense of the United States. With the help of other young men of the parish, the Rev. Mahoney designed and constructed the memorial based on the Our Lady Of Lourdes shrine to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France. In the Weymouth shrine, Bernadette can be seen kneeling before the Virgin Mary. Retired Monsignor Peter Martocchio, was among those that helped, in the collection of the stones from all around Massachusetts, that comprise the arch, and its construction. The memorial was completed in 1944, before the war had ended, and was probably the first war memorial constructed in Norfolk County, recognizing World War II.

On Memorial Day in 1946, the shrine was officially dedicated to sixteen parish heroes of World War II with a bronze plaque and a Solemn High Memorial Mass attended by Archbishop Richard J. Cushing.

The names listed on the plaque are:

• Robert G. Baulis
• Louis F. Belcastro
• Lawrence W. Gilligan
• Joseph F. Haynes
• Renie J. Jacobucci
• George T. Kristnofe
• Andrew J. Lambe
• Alfred T. Langevin
• Thomas H. Long
• William J. McCarthy
• William M. McDonough
• Henry T. O'Leary
• Chester A. Rober
• Gilbert Taylor
• James L. Wooten
• Charles W. Workman

I'm sure this will meet with widespread approval in some quarters.

[darkangel82]

Left-wing, anti-Catholic hate. Sick.

[Tax-chick]

The statue at St. Matthew’s was part of a memorial to unborn children that a parishioner had built as his Eagle Scout project. So that vandal got to be anti-Catholic/Christian, pro-abortion, and anti-Boy Scouts, all in one fell swoop! They were able to repair the statue.

[Thinkin]

This is just the beginning.............more to come......my heart hurts.....

[Vigilanteman]

I’m betting on the gay mafia because the Catholic Church won’t get trendy and equate their perversions with normal heterosexual matrimony. Disgusting.

[poobear]

Oh this Shrine is beautiful. One wonders how anyone could do such a thing. Angels must be weeping. G-d Help us all!

[darkangel82]

It was probably them or Zero’s people. Or both.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

My heart hurts too...

[Gay State Conservative]

The perv lobby????

[ConservativeWarrior]

Buck up!

Our parish had a statue of Jesus vandalized several years ago. The statue was a pose of Jesus standing with his arms outstretched before him, as if blessing a group of people, and it stood on a hill behind the church. The vandals must have had a bat or other striking tool, but were only able to break off the statue's hands.

Instead of repairing the statue, the pastor had a brass plaque made, which was affixed to a large stone and placed before the statue.

The plaque described the act of vandalism, then went on to explain why the decision was made not to repair the statue's hands. The purpose of leaving the statue unrepaired was to remind parishioners that WE are Jesus’s hands, put on earth to do His work.

I've always thought of this as a brilliant decision.

[BenKenobi]

This is why I converted. Punks spraypainted my parish in Vancouver with pro abortion slogans.

[mlizzy]

Here is a video on the vandalized Virgin Mary statue.

[Palladin]

This happens quite frequently in the Scranton Diocese.

Usually it’s just a bunch of drunk atheist kids.

[ConservativeWarrior]

I’d say their plan backfired. To your benefit!

[cubreporter]

Their only recourse is to destroy something they fear and they DO fear religion and all it stands for.