Stealing Baby Jesus from the town’s Nativity scene isn’t really something that pops out as newsworthy every year. It causes a stir in the local community, might upset a few people, but it is really is nothing more than just a bit of petty vandalism.
Now replace Baby Jesus with something like a severed pig’s head? Well now you have my interest. That’s exactly what happened in Haverhill, Massachusetts, with the mayor of the town going so far as to call it a hate crime. From The Boston Herald:
The parish priest noticed the statue had been taken from the creche at Sacred Hearts Roman Catholic Church on Christmas morning.
Police say the pig’s head left in its place appears to have been recently severed, and investigators are seeking help from butcher shops and pig farms. Police say the perpetrator could face animal cruelty charges.
Meanwhile, a neighbor replaced the baby Jesus with one from her own creche.
The baby Jesus figurine was also stolen from the Nativity scene on Greenfield Town Common, likely before dawn on Christmas Eve.
Fox 25’s Catherine Parrotta released a photo of the horrifying sight on Twitter, noting that this is not the first time that a severed pig head was left lying around in the area.
https://twitter.com/CParrottaFox25/status/548495156560011265
I feel bad for the pig, I feel bad for Baby Jesus, and I feel bad for person who purchased that Nativity. Hopefully the rest of the pig wasn’t wasted, that’s my big hope here. You can buy another Nativity scene and replace the super white Baby Jesus, but killing the animal and leaving it to rot is rough.
(Via WHDH / Fox 25 / Boston Herald)