Church That Hosted Replica of Our Lady of Guadalupe Vandalized
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VAN NUYS — Vandals defaced a statue and other property at a Van Nuys Catholic church that had hosted the replica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, police said Sunday.
More than two dozen images of the Virgin Mary in the Los Angeles area have been vandalized since a tour of the replica began in September, police investigators said. The tour ended Dec. 11 when more than 50,000 worshipers packed the Los Angeles Coliseum.
On Sunday, a pastor at St. Elizabeth Church at 6628 Cedros Ave. found a statue of the Virgin Mary covered in black spray paint, said LAPD Sgt. Larry Maillet.
Church officials also said the number 8 had been scrawled in front of all eight entrances to the building. It was not immediately clear what significance the number might have, if any, Maillet said.
Catholics believe the image of the Virgin Mary was miraculously engraved on the cloak of Indian Juan Diego in what is now Mexico City. The original cloak is kept at a hilltop basilica in Mexico, but a replica has been touring churches throughout Southern California.
Maillet said the Van Nuys incident would be investigated to see if it is connected to recent vandalism of murals and images of Our Lady of Guadalupe in East and South-Central Los Angeles.
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