Statue of Quebec-born Saint Brother Andre stolen from hometown near Montreal

MONT-ST-GREGOIRE, Que. – Quebec provincial police say they have no suspects in the theft of a statue of Saint Brother Andre from his birthplace outside Montreal.

Spokeswoman Joyce Kemp says the statue of the religious figure was reported missing on Sunday in Mont St-Gregoire, where he was born Alfred Bessette in 1845.

Kemp says it was likely stolen a few days earlier from the town, which is about 45 kilometres southeast of Montreal.

Saint Brother Andre died at the age of 91 on Jan. 6, 1937.

The founding cleric of St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal was canonized in 2010 by Pope Benedict.