A statue of Mary, located near the entrance of the Church of the Ascension in Parksville, was vandalized and then dumped into a nearby ditch this week.
Father Mike Favero said a neighbour, walking the road on April 15, discovered the pieces of the statue in the ditch just across from the church.
“Somebody just picked up the statue and broke it into pieces,” said Favero. “You really can’t fix it now. It’s sad.”
Favero doesn’t know how old the statue is but remembers it being in the church when he first came to be pastor in 1997.
“It’s been there a long time,” said Favero. “One of the ladies in the church repainted the statue. I don’t think it can be repaired.”
The vandalism incident was not reported to Oceanside RCMP, said Favero.
“I kind of wonder if it’s just kids, young people who have nothing to do, are bored and get into mischief,” said Favero.
In January, someone broke into Favero’s home adjacent to the church, stole his wallet and some loose change. Someone also broke the church’s gas tank and stole copper wire. In another incident, the church’s recycling bin was tossed up on the roof.
“I am not impressed with people who do these things,” said Favero. “The vandalism that is happening in our greater community, there’s so much more of that.”