Posted on 04/14/2009 6:12:09 AM PDT by NYer
CALIFORNIA AVE. — Santa Monica Police are investigating an alleged hate crime after officials with St. Monica Catholic Church discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary beheaded shortly before Easter services commenced.
A priest found the 55-year-old marble statue, which stands on the corner of Seventh Street and California Avenue, decapitated around 5:45 a.m. on Sunday, spotting the head on the ground just a few feet away. The top of the statue was covered with a white plastic bag before service began.
“Even though it was a sad event, it didn’t take away from the joy of Easter and celebrating Christ’s resurrection,” Jason Farmer, the church spokesman, said. “The joy was still sustained and celebrated throughout the day.”
Police have not identified any suspects.
“Anytime a church or school is targeted, we look at it as a possible hate crime,” SMPD Lt. Darrell Lowe said. “In this case, since the vandalism was of a very important figure within the Catholic religion, we’re classifying it and investigating it as a hate crime.”
Authorities said they are not sure how the head was removed, but Farmer said that the top is not detachable.
The statue, which stands at about 5.5 feet tall and is mounted on a 3.5-foot-tall pedestal, was dedicated in 1954 in memory of Monsignor N. Conneally, who was the head of the church from 1923-1949.
The statue was vandalized in 2002 when both hands were taken off. The perpetrator was never caught, Farmer said.
The statue will be repaired and restored, Farmer said. A cost estimate was not available at presstime.
“The church considers it to be sad and there are certainly questions about why this was done,” Farmer said. “But our sadness is brief, especially in the celebration of Easter.
He said the church considers the incident as a challenge to be more welcoming and caring to those who are struggling or hurting in the community.
“What has happened to the statue is an invitation for us to live out a deeper, more profound love for others,” he said.
Anyone with information is urged to contacted the SMPD at (310) 458-8419.
melodyh@smdp.com
“I hate idols...
Again with the changing of the subject.”
I assure you that it’s no change of subject going from praying to Mary to idolatry - none whatever. It’s one and the same thing.
If that's true, you worship everyone you ask to pray for you.
No, my wife’s at work.
“No, my wife’s at work.”
:-D
I’m good for a laugh from time to time.
“That’s another personal attack.”
I would like to clear up another thing. No one has attacked any Catholic since this whole thread got started.
I want you Catholics saved and set free from the bondage of false religion. I could just go off and ignore you and let you go your way.
But the Bible is very clear that we are to warn those who are perishing, else their blood will be on us. But I have sounded the warning and am clear of responsibility for the lost who won’t listen.
Mary was Jesus’ mother on this earth and that’s it. Just before he died He turned her over to John. He said “Woman, behold thy son”. To John he said, “Behold they mother” and that was the end of the “mother of God” syndrome, or should have been.
And that is the end of my part in this discussion, because I have discharged my mission and will not be responsible in that day when you say, “No one ever told me”.
Neither your priest, the Pope nor Mary will be anywhere in sight when you stand before our Lord on His Great White Judgement Throne and asks “What did you do with my sacrifice for you?” and “What did you do with My Word?”.
False.
I want you Catholics saved and set free from the bondage of false religion.
But the Catholic Church is not false.
But the Bible is very clear that we are to warn those who are perishing...
Get yourself a mirror.
I could just go off and ignore you and let you go your way.
Super. Kthxbai.
Thank you for your concern RoadTest.
I will take you at your word as to your intentions.
There is a major problem with communication, and when you say to someone “you believe such and such” and the person responds “no - this is what I believe”....there is a brick wall there.
The Lord bless your perception and guide you to The Truth!
And may the Lord bless you too.
Thanks
Mary prays for you, whether you know or believe, she prays for all of us.
“Hail Mary, full of Grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed art amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” Amen.
All of the above is from scripture, the church added pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Deny all you want, the truth will meet you one day.
Should say blessed art thou amonst women, left out thou.
amonst spelled wrong=amongst. Sorry am on husband’s computer, not attuned to it.
Jesus was teaching the crowd. Mary had already done the “Will of my Father”. The ultimate for all eternity.
Follow Mary’s example, “Do unto me as thy will”. “ Do as He says”. She always does the will of the Father and always points to Jesus.
Mary is an example for us all, how to follow Jesus and God’s will.
I have written my beliefs, I do not try to change yours.
While you may try to change mine and think it wrong, so be it. When I said you will know in the end. You will and we will meet with no apology. The truth will be known, and Mary will be known.
I do not believe your denial of Mary’s being and heritage will keep you from heaven. I believe you will see and honor Mary then.
The mother of my Lord,(God) deserves honor. She does not ask you for it, while on earth she always pointed to Christ.
When she prays for us, she points us to Christ.
That is true, rose. But Mary is dead. Your Catholic traditions reported that.
Some Catholics want to deify her. Some Catholics want to worship her. Most Catholics look to her to get Christ's attention. What does the "hail mary say"?
Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
We need no intercessor but Christ. Our faith is to be in His Sacrifice. Mary had a part, certainly, but God is not a respecter of men (or women). I know you can't believe what the Scriptures say, but they say it all to me, along with His Holy Spirit!
Most Catholics want the Holy Father to remain in Rome... but our Holy Father is in Heaven. Christ was on the cross for hours, He is at the Right hand of the Father for eternity. He is risen, indeed.
There is nothing in Scripture that justifies the use of idols in worship. In every case, it shows anathema to His plan, eternal life through faith in His Resurrection. The cross with an anguished or dead Christ is a symbol of defeat. Moses spent time with God, and came back to find a folden idol. What happened to the golden calf?
Paul says things better than I, therefore, I defer to him...
Romans 5; 1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Do you not think God is no respecter of Mary, the one who bore Christ, the one who was chosen from the beginning?
In John 21:25 is written the whole world could not contain all that could be written.
“Most Catholics want the Holy Father to remain in Rome...”
God bless you for believing such. We have a Pope, Pope means Papa. He is a direct descendant of Peter, the first Pope.
“There is nothing in Scripture that justifies the use of idols in worship...”
God's blessings to you again, we worship no idols. We worship God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We honor Mary and Saints. They have attained what we hope for.
Another posting,”Then why leave the idol on the cross?”
Are you suggesting Christ is an Idol on the cross?
There is no risen Christ without the cross. The cross is our salvation, our atonement, dying for our sins.
I love my church for she teaches the whole truth, not bits and pieces. She is complete. I love all of God's truths. I love the Cross with Jesus, the Risen Christ. The Christ of the Alpha and Omega, the Word, the beginning. I love God, all His creation, His LOVE for you and me and all.
I love Mary, the Saints, my brother and sister, my neighbor. I pray to all and to you my brothers and sister here on earth.
I wish all could really understand and know what the One true Church teaches. Our mass is scripture from beginning to end. There is one truly Holy and Catholic Church, one Pope to guard the keys to the kingdom. Regardless of all our history, good, bad, and ugly. The teachings remain as they did always. They were, have and are protected. Someone told one of our leaders that we are going to destroy your church. And he replies, " How do you think you can when we have been able to do so for 2000 years." Why do you think your interpretation is correct, your Holy Spirit is speaking to you and you alone the truths. There are so many different churches, teachings etc. Is the Holy Spirit split, confused, schizophrenic? We have many many popes who know the truth. Each of you is claiming to be pope, whether you know it or not.
You talk their talk, real well. But, you posted more than I need to respond. I'll just give you something to think about on Fridays...
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