Cemetery statues damaged in Rochester

Star Tribune

Last update: January 9, 2008 - 9:28 PM

Statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus on the cross in a Rochester, Minn., cemetery have been severely damaged and would require hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace, the cemetery director said Wednesday.

The granite statue of Jesus, standing about 15 feet tall, is 100 to 120 years old and would cost $250,000 to replace, said Robert Gumbusky, director of Calvary Cemetery. The slightly shorter statue of Mary has a value of $6,000 to $10,000, he said.

Police said that the time frame for when the crime was committed stretches from late November to early this month.

Police said that anyone who has information about the statues can call 1-507-285-8580 or 1-507-328-6888.

PAUL WALSH