[CPProt.net] Crown stolen from statue of Virgin Mary. Brass adornment taken from icon at Canton's Sancta Clara Monastery

[MSN CPPnet (Ton Cremers)]

Crown stolen from statue of Virgin Mary

Brass adornment taken from icon at Canton's Sancta Clara Monastery

By Rick Armon

Beacon Journal staff writer
September 16, 2005


CANTON - A large marble statue of the Virgin Mary -- her arms open and hands
holding a large rosary -- stands on the well-manicured grounds of the Sancta
Clara Monastery.

She is a beacon for the devout who climb the few concrete steps to the small
outdoor sanctuary. And it is a sacred spot for the Poor Clare Nuns of
Perpetual Adoration who live and worship at the monastery along Market
Avenue North.

But that spiritual ground was violated last weekend as someone stole the
custom-made brass crown that adorned the statue's head for more than 45
years. The thief unfastened two screws holding the circlet and made off with
the booty, leaving the icon otherwise unharmed.

``We're praying for that person,'' Mother Marion Zeltmann said Thursday.
``All we're asking is that the person who took it bring it back and leave it
anywhere.''

Zeltmann, the abbess of the monastery, was passing by the statue Saturday
afternoon and, as her custom, looked over to say a little prayer. That's
when she noticed the crown was gone.

It had been there Friday.

As she investigated, she noticed a single set of footprints on the
white-washed stone altar and pedestal upon which the statue stands. The
thief knew what he or she was after, and must have brought a screwdriver
along, she said.

``I was stunned,'' said Zeltmann, 68, a diminutive nun who wears a brown
habit, black stockings and sandals. ``The person who did it... we feel they
have lost respect for themselves. It's disrespect to God and the people
living here.''

The crown cost $359 when it was made for the statue in 1959. But the current
monetary value is unknown and irrelevant, Zeltmann said.

``It belongs to Mary,'' she said.

Because of the theft and the discovery of an unwanted late-night beer party
on the grounds, the order now is investing $3,000 in a security system and
gate for the entranceway.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Canton police at
330-649-5800.

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