December 6, 2006

Jesus was back on his pedestal, and all was right with the world at the Little Brothers of St. Francis yesterday morning.

Under cover of darkness, the statue of Jesus pointing to his Sacred Heart that was stolen from the front of the Franciscan order's Mission Hill compound over the weekend was returned late Monday or early yesterday with a handwritten apology from a sobered-up penitent.

"I'm very sorry about stealing your statue," the neatly penned note said. ". . . I had been drinking and made an extremely poor and out of character decision."

Brother James Curran, founder of the order, said: "We take it back in the spirit of forgiveness. The forgiveness was there before it was returned."

Speaking of whoever took and then returned the approximately 100-pound statue, he said: "If they want to drop by for a cup of coffee, we'd be very pleased to meet them."

CHARLES A. RADIN