A young Christian’s parents recently had to pay over
$1,000 for a statue of Mother Mary that their daughter damaged at a parish in
Torit.
In April, Wanda Imoo Pio Lokoro “intentionally” destroyed
the statue at Our Lady of Holy Rosary Parish during a service, angering the
congregation.
Some of the believers, according to church officials,
assaulted the young lady. Wanda, who normally prays at the Christian Revival
Church in the area, was rescued and dragged to a nearby police station.
A symbol of grace, compassion, and unwavering maternal
love, the Mother Mary is one of the most revered indoor statues in Catholic Christian
homes. Its presence evokes a sense of solace and protection.
When asked why she desecrated the statue, Wanda
reportedly said she had had a vision in which a spirit told her to tell the
faithful to stop worshiping the statue but Jesus Christ—a claim the church
leaders could not buy.
As a result, the parochial management demanded
compensation for the statue.
In compliance with the management’s demand, the Pio
Lokoros raised $1,000 and SSP600,000 for the statue’s replacement, according to
Fr. Anthony Obina, parish priest.
“I told them that if they were to buy the statue from
Rome, it would be costly,” Father Obina told Singaita FM on Friday.
“But since I’m traveling to Nigeria, I would buy it and
bring it here. I went for those few weeks, bought it, and came with it.”
The church leader claimed that the statue cost $961 in
Nigeria, and other costs related to its transportation and taxation.
“The amount in US dollars for both transportations was
$961. The clearance and transportation now from Juba to here [Torit] cost
SSP500,000, and the lawyer who is in charge of the case demanded $100 and
SSP100,000,” he explained.
“So, the total cost now is $1061 and SSP600,000, which we
submitted to police against the $3,500 the family had initially proposed to
pay.”
However, Singaita FM conducted online research on the
prices of statues around the world, and the results indicate that they are
actually less than $50.
On Amazon, a statue of Mother Mary costs between $24 and$49 to import to Kenya. In Nigeria, where Fr. Obina bought one, it costs 32,000Naira, an amount equivalent to $19.91.
When contacted by Singaita FM, the Pio Lokoros declined
to comment on the matter.