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• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
Aug. 27 - Sept. 2, 2021
Suspect sought in vandalism
of statue at Flushing church
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Police are investigating an act of
vandalism to a newly installed statue
outside of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic
Church in Flushing that occurred on
Tuesday, Aug. 17.
The statue of St. Bernadette was destroyed
in front of St. Michael’s Church,
located at 138-65 Barclay Ave., around
3:30 a.m. on Aug. 17, according to police.
The Diocese of Brooklyn, which reported
the incident to the NYPD, said a
man jumped over the church fence and
knocked the statue over, damaging its
left forearm and wrist.
The statue of St. Bernadette — which
is the patron saint of the poor, those
ridiculed for their faith and the sick —
and the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes
were dedicated earlier this summer,
in remembrance of all parishioners
who lost their lives to the coronavirus,
according to the Diocese of Brooklyn.
The pastor of St. Michael’s Catholic
Church, Father Vincentius Do, said
they’re planning to have the statue
repaired.
“St. Michael’s plays a central role
in the faith and care of our neighbors
through our masses and faith-based
services that feed the hungry,” Do said.
“For sure this act of vandalism is upsetting,
but the faithful of St. Michael’s and
I are praying for the person who committed
this act against our church. It is
important to find the good in all things,
and so I wish to take this opportunity
to encourage the public to respect our
church and our property, as well as that
of all houses of worship.”
According to the NYPD, there are no
arrests at this time and the investigation
remains ongoing.
This isn’t the first time the Diocese
has reported an act of vandalism to a religious
statue in the borough.
Last month, two statues — one of the
Blessed Mother and one of St. Therese
the Little Flower — located outside of
Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic
Church in Forest Hills were damaged.
The NYPD had released surveillance
footage that showed a woman
repeatedly smashing the statues with
a hammer, causing them to break. The
woman then fled the scene.
Anyone with information is asked
to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS
(8477).
A statue of St. Bernadette at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Flushing was
vandalized on Tuesday, Aug. 17. Photos courtesy of the Diocese of Brooklyn
Vol. 87 No. 35 44 total pages
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