NYACK, New York (WABC) — A Nativity scene in Rockland County has been repaired just in time for the holidays after a grinch attempted to destroy the holy display just days before Christmas.
It is in many ways the town square in Nyack — Veteran’s Memorial Park, celebrating the holidays with music, a menorah, Christmas tree and a creche, or a Nativity scene depicting Jesus’ birth.
Ed Tangred of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, says the Nativity scene is beloved by the community.
“The Knights of Columbus built it and put it up. The Parish of St. Paul and St. Ann’s sponsor it and it’s been a really welcomed addition to the community during the Christmas season,” Tangred said.
On Christmas Eve, the creche doesn’t seem much different than it has been for the last six years. It was a much different scene on Monday morning, however, when the plexiglass was broken and pushed into the display.
The Orangetown Police are investigating the incident as an intentional act.
“It’s sad, there’s a lot of hate in the world and a lot of anger, and it manifested itself into this little bit of a violent event,” Tangred said.
While nothing was taken, the Knights of Columbus had to remove the statues until repairs could be completed, which were early Wednesday morning.
Residents in the neighborhood, like Kristin Jones, are shocked but also not surprised by the incident.
“It was disappointing,” resident Kristin Jones said. “Nyack’s a welcoming place for everybody, but I guess bad things happen everywhere.”
Catalina Jones also shared her reaction with Eyewitness News.
“Someone had to be very mean to do that because people put work into it,” she said.
In the spirit of the season, the Knights of Columbus have a message to whoever is responsible for the damage.
“Come in and talk to us. Maybe there’s things going on that you need help with, maybe there’s things that we can reconcile and talk to,” Tangred said. “We offer forgiveness, but we also want to be able to help people through times like this.”
The repair to the Nativity scene is a temporary fix that is expected to last through Three Kings Day. A thicker, permanent glass will be installed in time for next Christmas.
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