At 5:30 a.m. Jun 30, 2024, a video showed a vandal parking his NYC Taxi SUV vehicle across the street from the church. He then walked directly towards the Holy Family statue and proceeded to decapitate the Child Jesus. The white marble head of the Child Jesus was found on the ground near the statue. The damage is estimated at $20,000, and the parish wants to repair the statue.
The statue has been part of the parish for more than 42 years. The statues of Mary and Joseph, which stand with the Child Jesus, were unsuccessfully targeted and not damaged.
“The Holy Family is the foundation of our faith community, and this statue holds special meaning to so many in our parish. This is a very unsettling incident, and those who attended Mass yesterday were shocked to find out this happened. We must pray for increased religious tolerance throughout our city,” said Father Sean Suckiel, the parish Pastor.
Police officers from the 107th Precinct responded and classified the incident as a hate crime. Anyone with information is asked to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
