Gold-plated rose stolen from NYC 9/11 memorial honoring influential pastor

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police are searching for a man accused of stealing a gold-plated rose from a Manhattan church memorial honoring the victims of 9/11.

The metal flower had served as the centerpiece of a memorial at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, whose long-time pastor, Father Mychal Judge, was crushed by falling rubble while praying for victims and rescuers on the morning of the attack.

On Wednesday afternoon, a man entered the historic Midtown church and removed the rose from the base of the memorial, according to a police spokesperson. Surveillance photographs show the suspect holding the tall and narrow piece of artwork on a sidewalk outside the church. He remained at large Thursday and was wanted for grand larceny, police said.

Judge, a chaplain for the New York Fire Department who founded one of the first Catholic ministries devoted to those with HIV/AIDS, had been praying in the north tower’s lobby for rescuers and victims when he was killed by debris from the falling south tower.

Following his death, the priest’s admirers urged the Catholic Church to grant him sainthood, pointing to his efforts in pushing the U.S. Catholic Church to be more welcoming to LGBTQ people.