Gold crown stolen from church, stained glass smashed, police say
KYW
By Laura Fay, Raymond Strickland
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PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Philadelphia police are investigating after someone stole a more than 120-year-old crown from a statue of Mary in a Center City Catholic church early Saturday morning.
“I’m sad. I’m angry,” parochial vicar John McCloskey said.
The thief broke into St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church at 21 South 13th Street by smashing through a stained glass window, police said. The person then stole a golden crown from a statue of Mary.
“See, anyone who steals from the church, first of all, I’m sorry. I have to be un-Christian. They have to be damned to hell,” church member Nadine Boulware said.
Police released surveillance video which shows a man breaking into the church along with footage of him driving a gray Mitsubishi following the incident.
“You’re going to steal something that’s precious and you don’t know what the meaning of it is? It’s just horrifying,” Boulware said.
Its meaning goes back to the early 1900s when the jewels on the sentimental piece were donated by parishioners after a massive church fire.
“That statue of Mary is the only large object from the original church that survived,” McCloskey said.
The church boarded up the damaged window as police continue to investigate.
“Bring it back to the church because it means nothing to them,” Boulware said.
Police say they have not made any arrests.
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