‘Shocked and disgusted’: Nativity scene statues stolen from Georgia Catholic church

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. — Less than a week before Christmas, a thief has stolen nativity scene pieces from a Georgia Catholic church.

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Tybee Island police are working to learn who stole Nativity-scene statues from St. Michael Catholic Church.

The incident took place on Saturday, when a church staff member told police that someone broke the lock on a box containing a manger scene and stole all the statues except for the shepherds and wise men, WJCL-TV reported.

The police department shared on Facebook that members of the community said they are shocked and disgusted over the theft. “We’re equally disappointed that someone would steal from one of our local houses of worship, especially during the holidays,” Tybee police said.

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WJCL spoke with Pastor Jerry Ragan, who said: “It’s been here 25 years, and it is dear to many people in the community and not just our own faith community but also the wider Tybee community. You are always going to have the Grinch who steals Christmas, so there is a lot of heartbreak in the community that someone would do this. But then again, Christ came into a world that was not perfect.”

According to WJCL-TV, the missing statues are worth an estimated $11,000.

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The photo gives an idea of the colors, shapes, and positions of the figurines that were taken.

The police department is asking anyone who spots the statues or has any information regarding the case, to contact Detective TJ LeGuin at 912-786-5600 or via email.

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