Warnerville is missing two of its wise men.
Really.
And sadly.
Sometime before the latest snowstorm, someone took two of the wise men from the Warnerville United Methodist Church’s outdoor manger display.
The three or four-foot high figures stood outside the church’s tiny stable; the third wise man, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus and various farm animals “live” inside it.
“It’s sad that anyone would take anything from a church,” said Pastor Anna Blinn Cole, “especially something that’s part of our Christmas tradition and such a part of our community.
“The congregation is devastated. It’s pretty disheartening. They’re taking this very seriously.”
Fran Sossei is one of them.
“We’re just a small, rural church. Who would steal our wise men? And for what?
“Really, we just want them back. We want our missing wise men back before Christmas.”
Ms. Sossei said they noticed that the lighted, vintage figurines were missing from the display, just off of Route 7, after this latest storm—only a few days after it was set up near the church’s Christmas tree sale.
“But they must have taken them before the snow,” she said. “There were no tracks.”
Both Ms. Sossei and Pastor Blinn Cole are asking that whoever took the wise men return them, no questions asked.
If anyone has any information about their whereabouts, they can contact Sue Lockwood at (518) 294-0069.