Vandals Hit OLPH

By Pam Flynn

Managing Editor

Two outdoor statues at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Germantown were desecrated sometime late on June 12. Germantown Police are currently working the case and according to a police department spokesperson, they have no leads at this time.

The two statues include a large statue of Our Lady of the Rosary that stood beside the OLPH sign in the front of the campus, and a smaller statue of Our Lady of Grace in the parish rose garden.

The Our Lady of the Rosary statue weighs about 1,500 pounds and stood nearly six feet tall.

The marble statue has been a part of OLPH since the first pastor, Father Joseph Greshem had it brought in from Italy. The statue was moved to its current place near the OLPH sign in 2001.

"I am very saddened," said Father J. Edwin Creary, pastor, "that someone would desecrate something that has been a part of our parish here in Germantown for so many years. This is more than a statue, it is a representation of Our Lady of the Rosary and was a reminder of the beginnings of our parish."

The smaller statue has been righted but is heavily damaged. The statue sits in the rose garden originally planted by Father Milton Guthrie.

While estimated damage costs have not been calculated at this time, Father Creary said that the larger statue could not be repaired and would have to be replaced, even though no money is available to do this soon.

For more information about the damage at OLPH or to offer assistance, call the parish office at 901-754-1204.