Virgin Mary Statue Stolen From Montgomery County Church: Reports

DARNESTOWN, MD — Officials at a Montgomery County church are asking for the public's help after they said two people stole a Virgin Mary statue earlier this month, according to authorities and reports.

Montgomery County police said the statue was taken Feb. 10 from our Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Church, located at 14139 Seneca Road in Darnestown.

According to police, the statue was taken shortly after 10:15 p.m.

Surveillance footage obtained by NBC Washington shows two females get out of a car, pick up the statue and take it back to their car. Once the statue is in the vehicle, the suspects drive away.

"Normally, I would bow to the statue that would be here and say, ‘Good morning, Mary,'" the Rev. Greg Shaffer told NBC Washington. “Noticed that she wasn’t here and started freaking out.”

Shaffer told NBC Washington that church officials don't intend to press charges but want the suspects to return the statue.

Anyone with information on the statue's whereabouts is asked to call the church at 301-948-5536.