St. Andrew Avellino statue vandalized

by Sophie Krichevsky Associate Editor

A statue outside Flushing’s St. Andrew Avellino Roman Catholic Church was vandalized last Monday evening, the NYPD said.

Police were informed last Monday that the statue — which the office of Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) has identified as being of the Blessed Mother — had had its right hand broken off and its left one cracked, the NYPD press office said. The incident is believed to have occurred at approximately 5 p.m. that day. The NYPD said the department’s Hate Crimes Task Force was notified.

The Rev. Gregory McIlhenney, the pastor at St. Andrew Avellino, could not be reached for comment by press time Wednesday.

Both Meng and state Sen. John Liu (D-Flushing) decried the act.

“The vandalism of the Blessed Mother statue at St. Andrew Avellino is both a disgusting and deeply saddening act,” Meng said in a statement.

“Not only has this statue been a part of the community for some 11 decades, but