Property damage in Edgewater parish due to accident; statue of the Virgin Mary spared

Shortly after a car accident occurred on the grounds of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Edgewater late on the evening of August 4, Father Zack Crowley and Eileen Thaden realized that the damage was extensive – and that God's hand may have been at work.

According to Anne Arundel County Police, 38-year-old Evan Kwisnek lost control of a 2014 Lexus traveling south on Loch Haven Road, left the road and entered church property, destroying a church sign and damaging a garden and landscape wall before the vehicle overturned.

According to the police report, Kwisnek was “inattentive, careless, negligent and reckless” and “driving too fast for the conditions.” Kwisnek was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center and treated for suspected minor injuries. Police said the driver was believed to be intoxicated.

Thaden said the cost to replace the sign and repair other property damage would exceed $50,000.

Father Crowley, parish administrator, and Thaden, operations manager, were both amazed as they viewed the scene that night. Amid the destruction, which included the shattered sign frame and chunks of concrete strewn across the path to the church parking lot, they noticed several strikingly symbolic signs.

A plastic icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, depicted on the church sign, barely suffered a scratch. In the flower garden, a statue of the Virgin Mary was spared but lost only her right hand. And the driver, who climbed out of his vehicle before police arrived, was spared serious injuries.

“It was impressive to see how much damage there was. And to see that the driver was not seriously injured and that nothing was left except the statue of the Virgin Mary and the symbol – which will be replaced when the new sign is put up,” said Thaden.

“When I told Father Crowley I couldn't understand how (Mary) could still be standing, he said, 'I can.' He said that Jesus was taking care of his mother. That gave me goosebumps,” she added. “I think Mary was taking care of us and the driver.”

Father Crowley, who joined the parish on July 1, said: “I'm not the type to see God's fingerprints everywhere, but these two images of Our Lady were spared when nothing else was spared, while the rest of this sign was destroyed. It's a very powerful thing.”

“In the end, no one was seriously hurt. Thank God everyone was safe. It could have been terrible,” he added. “Our church is not defined by its physical structure. With the Lord's help, we can overcome anything. Our Lady of Perpetual Help will continue to move forward and spread the Gospel as best she can, just for a while without a sign.”

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