HOULTON, Maine — A statue at St. Mary of the Visitation Church in Houlton that was damaged last year after a Hodgdon man allegedly rammed it has now been repaired and returned to the congregation.
The case against the 57-year-old Hodgdon man who was charged last fall with aggravated criminal mischief after he allegedly rammed his truck into the statue is still making its way through the court system, according to a clerk at Houlton District Court Monday.
Brett Currie was charged with the crime shortly after the incident occurred at 3:24 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2016. Houlton Police Officer Matt Quint reportedly arrived at the Military Street house of worship and found him sitting in his pickup near the damaged statue.
Police said that there was damage to both the vehicle and the statue, allegedly caused by Currie’s 2009 GMC pickup.
Damage to the statue was estimated at $2,500. The statue of Mary and St. Elizabeth was purchased 15 years ago after a church fundraiser, according to Deacon Al Burleigh of St. Mary of the Visitation Church. It is very significant to the congregation, he said, because it represents biblical stories told in Luke chapters 1: 5-25 and 1:57-66, in which Elizabeth gives birth to John the Baptist and shelters Mary, the future mother of Jesus. Burleigh said at the time of the incident that the base of the statue was damaged significantly, but not the statue itself.
Church officials could not be reached for comment on the repair costs. A sentencing date for Currie has not yet been set, according to the clerk.
