Iconic statue back in front of Ohio hospital

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) — An iconic 13-foot statue of the Virgin Mary is back home at the entrance to a Cleveland-area hospital after two years away.

The statue was dedicated outside Marymount Hospital in the Cleveland suburb of Garfield Heights in 1950. It was moved into storage for repairs and to clear the way for a major renovation of the hospital in 2010.

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reports that the 6-ton statue was brought from a warehouse this week on a flat-bed truck and put back on its base.

A Mass celebrating the statue’s return will be Sunday in the hospital’s new atrium, followed by a rededication ceremony.

Over the years the sculpture suffered hairline cracks, which were repaired by a company in Oberlin.