CALGARY — A fibreglass statue of the Virgin Mary that was stolen from a grotto outside a Calgary church has been found battered and burned in a ditch.
The statue — valued at $2,500 — was taken from the St. Albert the Great Catholic church late Saturday or early Sunday.
It was discovered by workers along a rural road east of the city.
Church officials say they are glad to have the figurine back, but Father Kevin Tumbach says it’s not clear if it can be repaired.
The theft of the 1.5-metre statue had left many parishioners hurt and insulted.
It had been donated by a family and was installed a year ago.