The broken statue at Saint Joseph's Catholic Church
/ photo: Brandon Roth
ONEIDA, MADISON CO. -- The Oneida Police Department is looking for the public's help after vandals destroyed a shrine at Saint Joseph's Catholic Church this past weekend.
A six foot tall granite statue of Saint Joseph was knocked over sometime late Sunday night or early Monday morning. The altar it was on was also chipped and damaged. Investigators say the damage will cost thousands of dollars to be fixed or replaced.
The shrine remains open to the public, but Father Richard Kapral says the statue dates back to the 1920s and the shrine was a part of the community for the past eighty years.
"You would expect there would be respect for the property. The church tries to keep it nice and make it a lovely addition to the community as well. For somebody to come along and wantonly disregard that and destroy it is a shameful thing," said Kapral.
Oneida Police investigators are following some leads, but ask people with information to call them at 315-363-2323 or visit the police department online.
The church has already began fundraising efforts to repair or replace the shrine. If you are interesting in making a donation, you can send it to this address:
Saint Joseph's Shrine Fund
Saint Joseph's Catholic Church
121 Saint Joseph's Place
Oneida, NY 13421
