'Have you found Jesus?' Soup kitchen offer free meal to whoever returns Messiah statue stolen from its garden

  • Pawtucket Soup Kitchen in Rhode Island had statue taken on July 20
  • It shows Joseph holding baby Jesus and is made from plain plaster 
  • Staff say it has sentimental value to them but is otherwise worthless
  • Will ask no questions of whoever returns it and will give them a free meal

Staff at the Pawtucket Soup Kitchen are asking for their statue of Joseph carrying the baby Jesus back after it was stolen last week

Staff at the Pawtucket Soup Kitchen are asking for their statue of Joseph carrying the baby Jesus back after it was stolen last week

A Christian soup kitchen in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, has been asking people if they have found Jesus - literally - after a statue of the Messiah was stolen from their garden.

The stone figure, depicting Jesus as a baby being carried by Joseph, was seen for the final time last Monday morning before going missing at around 8.30am.

Staff are now asking for the sculpture back with no questions asked, and are even offering to throw in a bowl of soup for whoever brings it back.

Soup kitchen director Adrienne Marchetti said the statue is only made from plaster and other similar materials, meaning it will have no value for the thieves.

However, she added it had a great deal of sentimental value for the staff at her centre, improving the 'mojo' in the garden area, and keeping everyone motivated.

Speaking to Valley Breeze, she said: 'We don't understand why anyone would want to mess with it. It means much more to us than it ever would to them.'

Ms Marchetti said the statue had been in the garden when she joined the soup kitchen six years ago, but didn't know when it was first placed there.

Trying to remain hopeful, she added that whoever took it might just be trying to repair Joseph's head, which had started to become loose in recent years.

The Christian institution says it will ask no questions of whoever brings the statue back, and will even hand them a free bowl of soup

The Christian institution says it will ask no questions of whoever brings the statue back, and will even hand them a free bowl of soup

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