On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, the Knights of Columbus replaced a statue of the Virgin Mary that had been damaged in an attack in a church in Brooklyn, New York.
Three months ago, vandals destroyed the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe in an attack at Our Lady of Solace Church, on Coney Island in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
The beloved statue stood the church’s Grotto of the Shrine, an area devoted to Our Lady for prayer.
The attack was caught on camera, and the New York Police Department arrested a suspect.
In the meantime, the parish began receiving small donations from parishioners to replace the statue.
The Knights of Columbus soon announced that they would contribute the money to pay for the replacement of the statue. Supreme Knight Carl Anderson pointed out in a letter to the pastor, Fr. Javier Flores, that 20 years ago when he became Supreme Knight, he dedicated the Knights of Columbus to Our Lady of Guadalupe. He announced a grant of $10,000 for a new statue.
“The desecration of our Catholic statues and churches is a grievous crime against all people who value religious freedom,” said Anderson.
“Together with Pope Francis, our bishops and faithful everywhere, we stand against violence, hatred and bigotry.”
The new statue was installed in the grotto of the church decorated with red and white roses, on December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in a ceremony led by Auxiliary Bishop Neil Tiedemann. With about 100 parishioners, the statue was blessed pastor Fr. Javier Flores, and afterward there was music by a mariachi band. The evening culminated in a 7 p.m. Mass.
And today we celebrate...