Historic Denver Church Asking for Help After Sacred Statues Are Stolen Overnight
A historic Denver church is searching for answers after two religious statues were stolen from the outside of the building in the middle of the night. According to a report by Fox31, surveillance video shows a suspect arriving on a skateboard around 4 a.m. and using tools including a hammer, chisel, and crowbar to pry the statues from the church’s entrance.
The theft happened at Holy Ghost Catholic Church on California Street, a longtime Denver landmark that has stood since 1943. The statues of Saint Paul and Saint Rita had been positioned on either side of the front doors for decades, greeting parishioners and visitors entering the church.
Father Paul Nguyen said the church has always been a place of hope and second chances for the community, which made the theft even more shocking for those who attend and work there. When staff discovered the statues missing last Wednesday morning, they reviewed security footage and saw the suspect chiseling the figures off their bases.
All that remains now are chipped stone fragments and the screws that once held the statues in place. Nguyen said the loss feels deeply personal to the church and its members, as the statues were part of the building’s identity for more than 80 years.
Despite the frustration, Nguyen said the church’s hope is simple — to have the statues returned so they can once again welcome people through the doors. The church has filed a police report with Denver Police and is asking anyone with information about the theft to come forward.
