MT. LEBANON, Pa. -- Parishioners in Mt. Lebanon are praying after someone broke a Virgin Mary statue into pieces last week and defaced it with satanic markings scrawled on her hands and face.

Slideshow: Photos Of The Damage

St. Bernard Church held a vigil Tuesday evening that opened with encouraging words from the parish pastor, a reassurance that the Virgin Mary remains very present, even in the empty church grotto where the statue once stood.

Together, parishioners prayed the Holy Rosary, a devotion to the Blessed Mother. Above all, they prayed for forgiveness for the vandals in hopes that they, too, will find salvation in faith.

"We really want to pray for the person or persons, they really need our prayers. The second thing we want to do? Reaffirm our devotion to Mary," the Rev. David Bonnar said.

"There's always good that comes from bad," said Sharon Capretto, a parishioner. "I believe we are called to have Marian devotion. This could be a great transition in our faith."

After the statue was hit, the Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church in nearby Dormont was also vandalized. The number "666" and the word "Lucifer" were spray-painted at the rear entrance of the church.

Police in Mt. Lebanon and Dormont are investigating the possibility that these cases are connected.

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