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Archdiocese Unhappy About Newark Statue's Placement

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (CBS 2) -- A statue of St. Patrick that has graced the sanctuary at Sacred Heart Church in Newark for more than 40 years now overlooks the dining room at Cryan's Beef and Ale House.

Jim Cryan's late father, John, bought the statue for the church in 1960. When the Archdiocese closed Sacred Heart in June, Cryan asked if his family could have the statue of Ireland's patron saint. He eventually placed it in his family's pub.

"It means a lot to my family. It means a lot to the parishioners that come in here," Cryan told CBS 2's Hazel Sanchez.

The Newark Archdiocese, however, is not happy about it.

"Certainly it's very disappointing to us. It's also not appropriate," Jim Goodness of the Archdiocese said.

Goodness said some parishioners have been complaining.

"We're just very hopeful that several members of the family may be able to convince the other person who has it now that it belongs somewhere else," he said.

Catholics who spoke with Sanchez Monday night were split in their opinions on the topic.

"It's not the right place," Ignacio Martinez said.

"Maybe some business would need some kind of inspiration or guidance -- probably that's why they put it there," Grace Matubis said.

Another man said he had "no problem whatsoever" with the statue being in the pub, adding "I don't know why anybody would."

"I was very surprised Mr Goodness never called me up and just said to me 'hey Jimmy we would like the statue somewhere else.' And it would have been done," Cryan said.

So St. Patrick may soon be moving out of the pub and into a new home. Cryan said, however, it certainly won't happen before St. Patrick's Day.

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