Mary's Return!
- Sharon Spell
- Feb 13
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 6
A Mystery unfolds
Mary was stolen and has now been returned!
“What?!” You may ask… I’ll explain.
On the property behind the store, near where the original house once stood, there is a “grotto” that holds a Blessed Mother Mary statue. A grotto in the Catholic sense is a cave-like feature used to house a statue, often of Mary, where time in prayer and meditation can be focused.
The story goes that the original statue was damaged during Hurricane Betsy, as was the house. At some time, Uncle Warren replaced her with a new statue, of the Blessed Mother holding Baby Jesus. Below is a photo of the statue and grotto from December 2018. Derrick and I spent some time that day with Uncle Warren talking about the house and stores and property.
Blessed Mother in Grotto December 2018
Fast Forward...
When we purchased the property in February 2023, I spent time walking around the yard, taking notes on plants and rabbit holes and repairs needed – and I realized Mary was missing!! I was upset; Mom was appalled. I called the cousin we purchased the property from and asked if by chance he had removed the statue, curious if he had decided to put it elsewhere or keep it himself. He had not.
Over time, I’ve mentioned to a few people in the area that our Mary statue had been taken. However, I didn’t push the issue and figured at some point I would find the right statue to fill the space.
I realized Mary was Missing!! I was upset; Mom was appalled
Fast forward again to February 2026...
After lunch with mom and cousin Tim, we returned to Edgard. Mom went home; I brought Tim over to look around at the renovations to the house, and to show him inside the wood store, and describe upcoming renovations. We had a nice visit and he shared memories of the wood store’s layout and functionality. As we exited the store to walk back toward the house, the grotto caught my attention – are my eyes deceiving me?!
Mary is back!
The Mary statue had been returned!!! I called mom immediately to ask if she knew anything about this and called our landscape maintenance manager to see if he knew of it; neither of them had a clue. I looked up previous photos in my phone, to verify it was the same statue. Indeed, it is! We speculated that whoever stole her “grew a conscience” and decided to return her to her rightful place.
Blessed Mother Returned - February 2026
This photo makes me realize that I need to replace some of the greenery!
For this, I am grateful. Whoever had her, and for whatever reason, I’m glad she has returned to her rightful place. Uncle Warren in heaven must be pleased.
TREASURES AND TALES
is our ongoing series highlighting the small things that carry big stories.
Watch for more to come in the “TREASURES AND TALES” series
If you have a "Treasure or Tale" related to the Caire Stores or Family or Edgard that you'd be interested to share, please submit a note here: Contact | Caire Stores
Keep up to date with ongoing renovations to the Caire Stores and learn how you can help by visiting www.cairestores.com and subscribing to our newsletter, as well as following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Comments