STERLING, Va. (WUSA) -- An act of vandalism has stunned a Catholic church in Sterling. The beloved statue of the Virgin Mary has been destroyed for the second time.
The first time, about a year-and-a-half ago, vandals knocked over the statue of the Virgin Mary at the Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church and tossed her in the parking lot, breaking her. The church commissioned another statue for $8,000. The second statue didn't even make it to Easter.
A picture of what she used to look like, surrounded by flowers and a bench, shows the statue as a place beckoning Catholics to come and pray.
The priests and office workers at the church didn't notice what was missing when they first arrived at church Monday morning. Then, someone looked out and saw the emptiness. The only thing left of the statue of the Virgin Mary was her feet.
Parish administrator Donna Ata said an officer thought a person may have rocked the statue, which would explain why the feet were still there.
Parishioners can only imagine who would do such a thing. Father Howard is less concerned that the statue is gone than about the people who took it.
Some people think the vandals may have thought the statue was bronze because of its coloring. In fact, it is made of fiberglass and because it has been destroyed, it has no value.