Baby Jesus kidnapped from nativity display outside church
Parishioners have described the theft as 'sacrilegious'.
A baby Jesus was swiped from a nativity display outside a Canterbury church days after Christmas.
Reverend Jo Richards discovered the model was missing when she arrived for the Sunday mass at St Dunstan’s Church, and is now appealing
Parishioners have already branded the act ‘sacrilegious’, and there are fears it may have been taken to be burnt.
Reverend Jo, who has been the rector at the church since 2018, is now considering tying Jesus to his crib next year.
She told Kent Online: ‘I guess someone took a fancy to Jesus, which on one level is no bad thing.
‘But as far as our crib is concerned, Mary and Joseph are without their Christ child.
‘You hope and pray that people won’t steal but evidently they do and perhaps we should have made Jesus a bit more secure.
![Jesus before being stolen at St Dunstan?s church in Canterbury. A vicar is considering tying down Baby Jesus next Christmas after the figure was stolen from his crib. See SWNS story SWLSjesus. The model was swiped from St Dunstan?s nativity scene in Canterbury, Kent. The wanton theft was branded ?sacrilegious? by shocked parishioners. Reverend Jo Richards discovered Jesus was missing when she arrived for mass last Sunday [Jan 8th].](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SEI_140035647-d7ad-e1673533094278.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024)
‘We don’t want to have to tie him down but moving forward that is what we may have to do.
‘Some of the parishioners have said that they feel it is sacrilegious that our baby Jesus has been taken.’
The nativity scene outside St Dunstan’s was introduced during lockdown to allow worshippers to visit the shrine when indoor gatherings were discouraged.
It has since become so popular with both members of the church and passers-by, the rector decided to keep the scene in place when services returned to normal.
The wooden model of baby Jesus was made by a local carpenter, and given as a gift to the congregation.
Reverend Jo has now appealed to whoever stole the religious figure to return it in time for the Christingle service this Sunday.
She added: ‘Who would want to take our Jesus? To take the baby out of the crib is disappointing.
‘If somebody feels they need Jesus in their lives and to them by doing this they are accepting Jesus into their life, I understand, but it just means that nobody else can benefit from visiting the crib and seeing the Christ child.’
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