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MARY STATUE UNVEILED FOR PARISHIONERS
By SHAWN LOGAN, Calgary Sun
Calgary Sun
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2010/06/06/14286401.html
June 6 2010
Canada
Serenity etched on her face, a marble statue of the Virgin Mary,
carved to replace one spirited from a southeast church months earlier,
was embraced by parishioners Sunday.
The congregation of St. Albert The Great in McKenzie Towne was shocked
last August when a pair of young vandals stole a fibreglass statue of
Mary away from a grotto outside the Catholic parish before burning it,
breaking off its hands, and leaving it in a ditch.
But after weeks of painstaking work, the void has been filled with
not only a replacement statue in the grotto but a 4-ft. replica
carved from Italian marble -- the same kind used by Michelangelo --
that now overlooks the nave from an overhanging balcony.
"For most of the people in the parish this is providing some closure
on the past -- a lot of good things came out of something horrible,"
said Fr. Kevin Tumback, who unveiled the statues after Sunday Mass.
"I'm hoping when (people) come and they see the statue, they think
of forgiveness."
Tumback said the theft created a profound sense of grieving amongst
parishioners but the final outcome, which saw those moved by the crime
donate significant time and material to provide the marble likeness
of the Virgin Mary, made the painful journey worth while.
Vahe Tokmajyan, the Armenian-born sculptor who crafted the statue
valued at $50,000, said the series of events that allowed the work
to carry forward can only be providence.
"I believe it was providence and I believe everything happens for a
reason," said Tokmajyan, who worked on the project for four months.
"It was very spiritual and I can see that people are hungry for a
classically worked sculpture."
While the marble statue overlooks the church's congregation, the
replacement statue in the church's grotto, covered by the restitution
paid by the vandals, will be protected by a Plexiglas pane.
In addition to its carving, the material, shipping, tools, workspace
and other necessities to bring the statue to fruition were all donated
to the church.
From: A. Papazian
By SHAWN LOGAN, Calgary Sun
Calgary Sun
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2010/06/06/14286401.html
June 6 2010
Canada
Serenity etched on her face, a marble statue of the Virgin Mary,
carved to replace one spirited from a southeast church months earlier,
was embraced by parishioners Sunday.
The congregation of St. Albert The Great in McKenzie Towne was shocked
last August when a pair of young vandals stole a fibreglass statue of
Mary away from a grotto outside the Catholic parish before burning it,
breaking off its hands, and leaving it in a ditch.
But after weeks of painstaking work, the void has been filled with
not only a replacement statue in the grotto but a 4-ft. replica
carved from Italian marble -- the same kind used by Michelangelo --
that now overlooks the nave from an overhanging balcony.
"For most of the people in the parish this is providing some closure
on the past -- a lot of good things came out of something horrible,"
said Fr. Kevin Tumback, who unveiled the statues after Sunday Mass.
"I'm hoping when (people) come and they see the statue, they think
of forgiveness."
Tumback said the theft created a profound sense of grieving amongst
parishioners but the final outcome, which saw those moved by the crime
donate significant time and material to provide the marble likeness
of the Virgin Mary, made the painful journey worth while.
Vahe Tokmajyan, the Armenian-born sculptor who crafted the statue
valued at $50,000, said the series of events that allowed the work
to carry forward can only be providence.
"I believe it was providence and I believe everything happens for a
reason," said Tokmajyan, who worked on the project for four months.
"It was very spiritual and I can see that people are hungry for a
classically worked sculpture."
While the marble statue overlooks the church's congregation, the
replacement statue in the church's grotto, covered by the restitution
paid by the vandals, will be protected by a Plexiglas pane.
In addition to its carving, the material, shipping, tools, workspace
and other necessities to bring the statue to fruition were all donated
to the church.
From: A. Papazian