The Missing Hand of Saint Patrick

The statue of Saint Patrick, with the missing hand, has become the symbol of the fund raising campaign of Saint Patrick's Church Restoration Society. There are many theories as to how Saint Patrick lost his hand. However, the most plausible theory claims that the Halifax explosion may have been the culprit. It is possible that the hand of the statue may have suffered some undetectable damage during the 1917 Halifax explosion which also damaged five other statues. Several years later, during the removal of the Lenten purple shroud, the undetectable damage or hair line fracture may have caused the hand to fall off. Whatever the cause, Saint Patrick with the missing hand has come to symbolize the restoration which the church requires. The restoration of Saint Patrick's hand will be celebrated at the completion of the fund raising campaign.