Vandal Beheads Statue of St. Anthony outside Historic Chelsea Church

A statue of Saint Anthony of Padua was toppled in an outdoor area at the church of St. John the Baptist on 213 West 30th street between 7th and 8th Avenues in the early morning hours of June 9.

Martin Downs, 60, who has been the sacristan at St. John for 34 years, told Straus News that when he came to open the church in the early in the morning of June 9, he found Saint Anthony’s head on the steps in front of the gate.

The historic Chelsea Church sits only two blocks south of Madison Square Garden.

“When I came at 6:30 in the morning the gate was closed, and the head,” Downs said on June 10 with tears in his eyes, “was right here.” He pointed to the foot of the gate.

“I immediately called 911.
They never came. So I had to call again. Then they came,” he added.

A police spokesperson told Straus News that the “desecration of a statue” was currently being investigated as a criminal mischief crime. But that is subject to change as the investigation unfolds.

The statue usually sits on top of the steps next to a large flower pot with hydrangeas. The pot was also toppled over, and the outdoor garden was vandalized.

“St. Anthony normally sits at the top of that step over here,” Downs said.

The super across the stress showed him a surveillance video. “You can see this black guy come up, then he walks around the gate to the corner, climbs over, and he just tossed everything. It was 4 o’clock in the morning.”

The super, who declined to give his name, also showed Straus News the video. A man, dressed in a light blue T-Shirt and navy blue shorts is seen walking by the gate at 4 a.m. outside the small garden of the church. The man then jumps over the gate and topples the marble statue of the saint to the ground.

It is unclear if the incident is related to the mayhem that broke out in Midtown Manhattan after the Knicks lost Game 3 of the NBA finals to San Antonio Spurs on June 8. The city of San Antonio in Texas is named in honor of San Antonio of Padua, a 13th-century Portuguese Catholic priest and Franciscan friar recognized as the patron saint of lost items, invoked to help find lost possessions or even lost faith. The feast of Saint Anthony is celebrated on June 13.

“I feel hurt,” Downs said. “I’ve been taking care of this garden for 34 years, and then for one person to come along and do this. It makes no sense.”

Downs said he was the one who chose the two statues that adorn the front of the church that was built in 1871-72 . He placed Virgin Mary on the left side, and Saint Anthony on the right. “That was my idea to put him here, and have the Blessed Mother on the other side.”

When asked why he chose Saint Anthony, Downs said the saint has helped him find things. “Just recently, I lost my keys. I prayed to him, and the next day I found them.”