Much more to the story of the "Missing Mary"

Driving through the rain and dark gray streets, crime reporter Mike Conte and I are running to break the lid off a story. Break it way off. We are trying to solve the crime of the missing Mary.

Sarcastically poking fun at this lead, Mike and I can't seem to take the story too seriously. An email written into the office asked if The Journal could write a story about a statue of the Virgin Mary that was stolen outside the home of a Colombian family in Union City. Considering the gravity of most crimes we cover, this seemed almost blase. Most days Mike covers murders and shootings and trials of heinous crimes. Before I went on this assignment, I had been searching the streets of Jersey City for the blood stains of a shooting. I don't want to say we were jaded, but we forget about the human element.

Showing up to the house, flowers and candles littered the front of an empty alter. The owner of the statue, Gladys Rodriguez came down from her apartment and began to weep in front of Mike and I, and told us the story of her Mary.

Gladys' son found the statue during a hard time in his life when he was involved deeply in drug use. The three foot Mary become a symbol he used to gather strength and overcome his addictions. Later the Mary become a gift he gave to his mother Gladys, who put it out in front of her house. Neighbors began using it as a place to pray and make offerings. It's meaning had spread, as others used the figure for their own inspiration and hopes.

"It's not important to me-- it's for everybody," a tearful Gladys says.



To read Mike's full story click here.