This statue of the Virgin Mary at the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Russells Point was destroyed in Thursday’s tornado.
Photo Courtesy of Bill Quatman
RUSSELLS POINT — As residents near Indian Lake continue to assess the damage of Thursday’s deadly tornado, a nearly 60-year-old statue has been included in the area’s losses, and the organization behind that statue is working to help those impacted by the storm.
A statue of Our Lady of Fatima placed at the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Russells Point by the Lima-based American Society of Ephesus was blown away by Thursday’s storm and is still missing. The nearly 20-foot-tall statue, dedicated in August 1964, was one of the tallest statues of the Virgin Mary in the United States, according to the ASE, and while a 60th anniversary celebration was planned for this August, those plans have changed.
“As of today, she is lost and the property suffered considerable damage,” ASE chairman Bill Quatman said in a statement. “We plan to rebuild.”
In the meantime, the ASE has been focusing on meeting the immediate needs of storm victims in the area, offering assistance through a $25,000 donation to the United Way of Logan County’s Indian Lake Tornado Relief Fund.
“We suffered property damage and the loss of our beloved Mary statue, but others in the community suffered injuries, loss of life and home or business,” Quatman said in a statement. “We felt compelled to give back. Our prayers are with the affected community.”
For more information on the ASE, go to https://bit.ly/3TrhDJI.
