A Tallaght church has thanked the public for their donations and support after their beloved Virgin Mary statue was decapitated earlier this month.
St Mark's Parish in Springfield took to Facebook to share photos of the havoc caused by vandals. The statue was also targeted by vandals this time last year and was eventually rebuilt through the generosity of parishioners.
The Virgin Mary statue is situated in a serene grotto outside the church used for reflection and prayer. A priest in the parish is hopeful that CCTV footage will help identify the perpetrators.
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The priest wrote on Facebook: "From the footage it is clear that this was a deliberate act. It is an interesting coincidence to note that this week last year the Statue was also broken."
The parish also thanked people for their kind donations following the defacing of the statue. Funds will be used to swiftly repair the broken parts of the statue.
The incident took place on May 10 as the church was in the midst of First Holy Communion season. The statue had just been repainted prior to the damage, with a new seat installed at the grotto.
A Garda spokesperson said: "Gardai are investigating an incident of criminal damage that occurred on the 10th May 2023 in a church in Springfield, Dublin 24 at 8.10am where a statue was damaged. No arrests have been made. Investigations are ongoing."
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