Statue of Virgin Mary In Front of Catholic Social Services Found Vandalized

A resin statue of the Virgin Mary was found in a dumpster, after someone removed it Wednesday night from in front of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska at 23rd and “O” Street. (Courtesy of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska)

LINCOLN–(KFOR Feb. 9)–Officials at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska are hoping Lincoln Police can find whoever vandalized the five-foot tall resin Virgin Mary statue that stood in front of their building at 23rd and “O” Street.

Front of the Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska building at 23rd and “O” Street. (Courtesy of Catholic Social Services)

According to Catholic Social Services development officer John Soukup, an employee found the statue upside down in a nearby trash bin.

“Luckily, it wasn’t significantly damaged,” Soukup told KFOR News on Friday morning. “The fact that somebody so brazen would come over here right on ‘O’ Street and pull that statue off its pedestal and just discard it like that is a little upsetting.”

Security video shows that a male was seen prying the statue from its platform around 6:30pm Wednesday. Soukup says the statue was attached to the platform with a cement adhesive.

Lincoln Police have been contacted and they are investigating this case. If you have information on who might be involved in this case, call LPD at 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.