Jesus statue damaged after theft may have to be replaced

CHURCH AUTHORITIES are expected to decide today whether to repair or replace a statue of the baby Jesus found damaged after it had been stolen from a crib in Waterford city.

The statue was handed in to gardaí yesterday by an individual who found it in the People’s Park in the city after appeals had been made for its safe return.

An informed source said the statue had been broken into four pieces, but an initial examination suggested it could be repaired.

Earlier yesterday, local parish priest Fr Gerry Langford had issued an appeal for the return of the statue after it emerged it had been taken from the crib outside the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity on Barronstrand Street in the early hours of Monday.

Fr Langford said prayers had been said at Masses at the cathedral for the return of the figure to the crib, which had been built by local Fás workers and officially opened two weeks ago by Mayor of Waterford Pat Hayes.

“The baby is missing, everybody knows about it now, there’s a big search going on around the city. Everybody is talking about it and who knows, Christmas is a time for miracles and magic, so maybe the baby will turn up again,” he said on RTÉ radio news.