A statue of the Blessed Mother was found smashed and lying face down in the snow at a New York Catholic church, in what parishioners and police suspect is another act of vandalism.
According to a Feb. 5 report by Rockawave, parishioners and clergy arrived at St. Gertrude’s Church in Far Rockaway, New York, Jan. 28 to find the outdoor statue removed from its pedestal, with the back of its head shattered. The parish’s pastor, Rev. Francis Shannon, reported the damage to police. No surveillance footage captured the incident, but authorities believe it occurred around 6 p.m. Jan. 27.
In a message published in the church’s Feb. 1 bulletin, Fr. Shannon shared a photo of the damaged statue and wrote that the statue of the Blessed Mother “was desecrated and toppled during the night,” while a snowstorm “covered the Earth with God’s beauty.”
“God have mercy on the sick person or persons that did this, people used by the devil. We are hoping to restore the magnificent symbol of love,” he wrote. “Until then, stay strong. True love will always be attacked, Jesus said so. May Mary protect us.”
The statue had also been vandalized in October 2025, when a black bag with a skeletal face was placed over its head. The statue was later repaired.
The latest incident follows other acts of vandalism against churches in the area. Statues and property at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in Far Rockaway were vandalized multiple times in early October 2025, according to The Tablet.
CatholicVote’s Violence Tracker has reported more than 500 attacks and acts of vandalism against Catholic churches in the U.S. since May 2020.