9:10am Thursday 3rd January 2013
A STATUE of the baby Jesus has been stolen from a nativity scene inside a Newport church.
Small plastic figurines of the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus were inside the foyer of St Mary’s Catholic Church, Stow Hill, until they vanished on New Year’s Eve, said Father Michael Evans.
“I discovered that the crib figures had gone walkabout,” said Father Michael, who took over responsibility for the six Catholic churches in the All Saints parish six weeks ago.
“I thought maybe Mary and Joseph had gone back to Bethlehem, but I found them at the bottom of Stow Hill. Maybe they had gone clubbing.
“The infant child we haven’t found yet,” he said. “Perhaps He is out doing His father’s work.”
The main crib is inside the church near the Christmas tree, but the plastic figures – which stand along with three wise men and two sheep – had been placed in the foyer to show people what Christmas is all about, he said.
“The front door is always open,” said Father Michael, formerly parish priest in Ebbw Vale and Tredegar. “The statue has no monetary value, it’s plastic. If it turns up, it turns up.”
Newport city councillor for Stow Hill Miqdad Al-Nuaimi said he was disappointed that someone would steal the model.
“The church must have been doing this for years and years and not had anything like this happen before,” said Cllr Al- Nuaimi, who has been a councillor for 20 years.
“I am very disappointed that someone should choose to do something like this. The last thing you would think about would be to put the display under lock and key. I hope they find it.”
The Catholic community celebrated 200 years of worship in Newport last year.
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