SCULPTOR TO DONATE TIME TO REPLACE DESECRATED STATUE
By Katie Schneider
Calgary Sun
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Catholic church struck by vandals who stole and desecrated its
Virgin Mary statue will soon welcome a new religious icon to its
parish, crafted with kindness by a local sculptor.
With a donation of Italian marble gifted to St. Albert the Great
Catholic Parish, sculptor Vahe Tokmajyan is handcarving a new statue
of the Virgin Mary to replace the fibreglass one stolen from the
parish’s grotto in August and found burned and handless in a ditch.
Using the original statue as a model, Tokmajyan, who hails from
Armenia and teaches sculpting and drawing as part of the University
of Calgary’s continuing education program, said he is making good
progress on the white marble replica which he began in December and
could have completed in a month.
"It’s very, very detail oriented," he said.
He said he was touched by the story when he first heard the news it
was stolen and vandalized beyond repair and knew he wanted to help.
"I thought being in Calgary … everyone should do something and be
a part of the community," he said.
"If you can be helpful, why not?"
Father Kevin Tumback said the church is grateful for the new statue
and fortunate something good came out of the bad situation.
"It’s like something horrible happened and something better is coming
out of it," he said.
Tumback said the church is consulting with security companies about
making the grotto safer.
"The reality is you can only do so much," he said.
Benjamin Donald Carr, 21, and Kyle Alexander Dejong, 19, are both
charged with theft and mischief, for an act police say was apparently
a drunken prank.
At least one of the men met with Tumback to apologize.