Recently, an act of vandalism was made on the St Mark Parish's Virgin Mary statue. The unknown suspect reportedly smashed the head of the statue.
Act of Vandalism at St Mark Parish
At around 8:10 in the morning of Wednesday, May 10, the incident occurred while the parish was in the heat of the celebrations for First Holy Communion. Based on a report from MSN, the sculpture had recently been repainted before the damage was done, and a new bench was placed in the grotto. The local parish priest, Father Bill O'Shaughnessy, expressed his profound regret to the community upon informing them that the Statue of the Blessed Mother at St. Mark Parish had been vandalized again.
Moreover, photos of the destruction inflicted by vandals were uploaded to Facebook by the St. Mark's Parish in Springfield, Massachusetts. Around the same time last year, vandals attempted to destroy the statue, but it was subsequently reconstructed thanks to the generosity of parishioners. In addition, the church priest also mentioned in the post that "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."
As per Dublin Live, the statue of the Virgin Mary can be found in a peaceful cave located outside the church and used for meditation and contemplation. Father O'Shaughnessy reportedly keeps his fingers crossed that the surveillance footage may lead to identifying those responsible for the crime. Based on the spokesperson of Garda, the authorities are looking into the incidence of criminal damage inside the church. However, Investigations continue to be carried out at this time, and no arrests have recently occurred.
On the other hand, the Independent reported an update on the incident, which stated that according to St Mark Parish's priest, they had been met with a tremendous amount of curiosity from worried people nearby and further afield. He continued by saying that the Garda Sochána had been informed about the graffiti. The video footage of the three young people strolling down Maplewood Road at 1:05 a.m. on Monday, May 22, was also captured on CCTV by their security cameras. The footage reveals that the conduct was carried out with much premeditation. "As a grouping of parishes, we would also like to thank everyone for the tremendous support of phone calls, texts, and donations. Much appreciated," the church priest added.
Also Read:Wooden Statues of Virgin Mary Damaged By Fire on Three Separate Incidents at the Start of Holy Week
About St Mark Parish
St. Mark's Parish functions as the church of worship for Springfield Parish, and on July 25, 1975, it was first made available to the public. The church was once a part of the Tallaght and Bohernabreena Parish before it split off and became its entity in 1972. The space that the Scout Hall now occupies was the location of the first improvised parish church. As mentioned, the perspective of the Dublin Hills that can be had from the chapel is very breathtaking. One of the Mountains is physically located within the parish, and approximately twenty families live there. Furthermore, the Junior and Senior Primary Schools of Saint Mark are located directly across the street from the church on the same property.
They have over a thousand students between their final days, and many of them come from nations in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Together, students are reportedly a representation of the new Ireland. Also, the local population is entirely engaged, with a significant number of individuals actively participating in the administration and management of the church.
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