Father Mario Debattista is hopeful that the missing kangaroo statue from The Little Flower Church in Kedron will soon be returned to the church’s garden.
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The concrete kangaroo statue, which is around one metre tall, was reportedly stolen from the church garden, along with a turtle and a pig statue, right before Australia Day 2022.
The statues were originally owned by Fr Debattista’s mother but were passed onto him after she died in November 2020. They remind him of his mother and father that he decided to display them in the church’s beautiful garden.
However, Fr Debattista feels sad especially for the kids as the garden is less interesting now than before. The spot was such a hit among toddlers and little ones and they would go up to the garden’s edge to try to spot the different animals.
The church garden was created for the local children and it also features the patron saint of animals, St Francis, at the centre.
Some footage was sent to Fr Debattista by a local showing a man pushing a shopping trolley full of garden statues and pot plants in Stafford. However, it was unclear if it was related to the church or not.
Fr Debattista recalled it was not the first time that her mother’s prized collection of garden statues had been stolen. Many years ago, Fr Debattista remembered the police came knocking about a man they caught pushing a shopping trolley full of garden statues.
“If anybody sees a red kangaroo in someone’s front yard, or if the thief wants to give them back, there will be no repercussions, I’ll forgive them and be happy that they brought them back,” told the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
Fr Debattista said he will forgive anyone who got the statues and they can drop them back overnight incognito if they want.
