Statues replaced at Sudbury shrine after vandalism in 2020
There are currently a dozen statues at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes property, and all are from the 1950s.
In the summer of 2020, six of the statues were beheaded by vandals.
“There was a lot of going back and forth with the artist who basically had to reconstruct the statues,” said David Sirois, of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie.
“So, they did the clay statues initially and then from there they did the mould and then they poured the bronze and that was done overseas. Then last fall we did get the shipment of the statues, but it was a little too late in the season to install them because it was too cold. So just last week it was warm enough that we were finally able to put them back on site.”
Although the cost of replacing the statues is not being disclosed, Sirois said insurance covered most of the expense. He added that the vandals were never caught.
“We never found any information on who or why they did it," he said.
"Although, we think it’s because of financial issues and not because of political issues or religious issues … Probably salvaged it or something, melted it down and just sell it as bronze because the statues were from the 1950s and at that time the content of bronze would be high copper content, so a little bit of value at this time.”
There are now seven surveillance cameras on the property.
The Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie will be holding a fundraising event at the Caruso Club on Sept. 29. All money raised will go toward covering the cost of maintenance.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.