The damage inflicted on a five-foot, 500-pound statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the grounds of St. Raphael Church and School, Hamilton, is believed to be the result of a “random, senseless act of vandalism,” according to Father Jeffrey Kegley, pastor of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish.

Father Kegley said the members of the Hamilton Township Police Department discovered that the statue, which is located in a grotto directly across from the South Broad Street entrance to the church property, had been destroyed late in the evening of Sept. 19.

“The statue was pushed over,” Father Kegley said. “We had a cement planter by the grotto and it looks like whoever did this took the cement planter and smashed it over the face of the statue as if they were trying to break the head off.”

Though the head of the statue remained intact, other damages included chips to the face and breaking of the hands.

Father Kegley said that the police had left a report in the rectory mailbox around 11:45 p.m., however, he did not learn of the incident until the next morning when police returned to the site to dust for fingerprints.

“It was a police discovery,” said Father Kegley, adding that there were no indications of “any commotion,” nor did any of the neighbors in the surrounding area of the church witness anything.

“It’s peaceful around here,” Father Kegley said of the campus that houses St. Raphael Church and School, “and we have no previous reports of vandalism. So that’s why it’s so shocking that something like this happened.”

Father Kegley said the Marian grotto was built about six years ago as part of a project spearheaded by the parish’s Holy Name Society.

As word about the vandalism spread throughout the parish community when parishioners arrived for Sunday Mass Sept. 20, many were prompted to express sentiments of shock, sadness and concern about the damages incurred to the beloved Marian statue and the grotto which often serves as a place where people come to meditate and pray.

Though believed to be an act of vandalism and a police investigation remains underway, Father Kegley exhorted his parishioners at all Sunday Masses to pray for whoever was responsible.

“We want the person who did this to experience God’s love, to let them know that God loves them and to experience the mercy of the Lord,” said Father Kegley. “We also prayed for Mary’s intercession and that the person who did this would have a change of heart.”