Thief steals golden crown from Mary statue inside Philly Catholic church
Jan 12, 2025
A 125-year-old golden crown was stolen from a statue of Mary inside a Philadelphia Catholic church, police said.
The theft occurred Saturday, Jan. 11, shortly after 1 a.m. inside the St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church on south 13th Street in Center City.
Police said someone broke into the church by smashing through a stained-glass window. They then stole a golden crown from the head of the statue of Mary.
“Our video – we have outside and inside cameras – showed the guy coming in,” St. John’s Associate Pastor John McCloskey told NBC10. “And he was in and out within ten minutes. He was very agile and he knew exactly what he was doing.”
The crown was made of jewelry and gems that were donated by parishioners following a fire at the church in the early 1900s.
Police have not released a description of the suspect. If you have any information on the theft, please call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-3093.