St. Aloysius Church in Jersey City gets "Divino Nino" statue back after poor man who stole it abandons it in deli where he tried to sell it

Friday, November 05, 2010
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Parishioners at Jersey City's St. Aloysius Church are rejoicing at yesterday's return of their "Divino Nino" statue of the boy Jesus, which was stolen from its pedestal last weekend, officials said.

The West Side Avenue church got a call from a nearby bodega owner saying she had the statue and it was safe. The church worker called police, who picked it up, reports.


The bodega owner said a man came into her store Wednesday trying to sell the statue and when she told him she wanted it, he said he was "just hungry and needed something to eat," reports said.

She went to fetch the man some change and returned to find only the statute remained, reports said. That night she learned the statue had been stolen.

Last Saturday, there were numerous parish activities at the church, including baptisms, weddings and masses, and the church doors were open most of the day. On Sunday, devastated parishioners realized the statue was gone.

The Divino Nino is intended to foster devotion to supporting needy children around the world, the Rev. Joseph D'Amico said. It was dedicated at a "Banquet for the Poor" dinner that raised money for Latin American charities for poor children, D'Amico said.

Two statues of Jesus were donated to the church after a story on the theft ran in The Jersey Journal Wednesday, but D'Amico said Wednesday that he had not given up hope that the original would be found.

St. Aloysius Director of Maintenance Tomasz Wronski drove to the West District Police Station yesterday morning, brought the Divino Nino back to the church and placed it back on its pedestal.

"We are happy that it's back," said the Rev. Thomas Thottungal after the church lights were lit and the Divino Nino was restored to the statuary.

Police have not made an arrest in the theft

As if reflecting advances in fertility drugs



----------------------------------------------
Two statues of Jesus as a boy donated to Jersey City church whose "Divino Nino" was stolen

Thursday, November 04, 2010
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Two statues of the boy Jesus in the form of the "Divino Nino" have been donated to Jersey City's St. Aloysius Church following yesterday's Jersey Journal story about a statue that was stolen from the church this weekend.

"The 'Divino Nino' is all about generosity, and it is like he is doing his job in heaven," the Rev. Joseph D'Amico said yesterday afternoon while standing beside the donated statues. "We have gotten help from The Jersey Journal and Jersey City police."

But, the pastor said: "Plan One is for the original to come back."

The church is working with the Jersey City Police Department in hopes of recovering the statue that was made in Colombia and donated to the church in September.

Even so, D'Amico, the Rev. Thomas Thottungal and the Rev. Juan Carlos Zappato couldn't be happier to see the outpouring of generosity that has also included offers to donate money to replace the statue.

Sunday's collection at the church's Spanish Masses took in more than is needed to buy a replacement of the statue, valued at about $500.

Since the story appeared in yesterday's Jersey Journal, the crime has also been the focus of several television news spots, D'Amico said.

On Saturday, there were numerous parish activities at the church, including baptisms, weddings and Masses, and the doors of the West Side Avenue church were open most of the day.

On Sunday, devastated parishioners realized the 3-foot "Divino Nino" was gone. The pedestal for the statue remains among the statues of saints in the statuary. Parishioners have hope the pedestal will once again support the original statue.

The "Divino Nino" is intended to foster devotion to the cause of supporting needy children around the world, D'Amico said.

It was dedicated at a "Banquet for the Poor" dinner that raised money for Latin American charities for poor children, D'Amico said.

Anyone with information on the stolen statue is asked to call the Jersey City police tip line at (201) 547-JAIL.

Quote:

LOL !!! Brilliant! This is the funniest post I've seen in along time!

Now before anyone gets worked up - lighten up folks.

Quote: Hmm. Aren't pedophiles always in the closet? Oh wait... there was that one guy...

Quote:

Hmm. Seems to me only a closet pedophile would be able to come up with the image you've so lovingly crafted.

Perhaps one of their clergy has an inflatable young boy they can use in its stead?

View Larger Map
View Larger Map Statue of Jesus as young boy is stolen from St. Aloysius Church on West Side Avenue in Jersey City Wednesday, November 03, 2010 By MICHAELANGELO CONTE JOURNAL STAFF WRITER Parishioners at Jersey City's St. Aloysius Church were devastated when they discovered Sunday that a 3-foot tall statue of Jesus had been stolen from the church. "We had many parish activities on Saturday - weddings, baptisms, Masses - so the church was open most of the day," the Rev. Joseph D'Amico, pastor of the church located near Lincoln Park, said yesterday. "We didn't notice it was missing until Sunday." The statue of the "Divino Nino," which depicts Jesus as a young boy, was donated to the church this summer and its purpose was fostering devotion to the cause of supporting needy children around the world, D'Amico said yesterday. It was dedicated at a "Banquet for the Poor" dinner at the church aimed at the spiritual goal of seeing the face of Christ in the poor and less fortunate. Money raised by the dinner was sent to Latin American charities for poor children, D'Amico said. The pedestal for the statue remains among other saints in the statuary of the church, located at West Side and Belmont avenues. Parishioners are praying for its return. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the statue is asked to call the Jersey City Police Department tip line at (201) 547-JAIL.