The Our Lady of Fatima statue at the south end of Logan County’s Indian Lake was a longtime staple in that community, but it was blown away by an EF-3 tornado on March 14, 2024. At 19-feet-6-inches-tall, the fiberglass statue stood on a concrete pedestal as part of the 43-feet tall Our Lady of Fatima shrine. One of the largest Marian statues in the country and, at the time of its dedication, in the world, it was dedicated to St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church (a half mile away) by the American Society of Ephesus (ASE), a non-profit private foundation whose goals include preserving and erecting religious shrines.

“It was a landmark in the area and visible for boaters on the water,” said Father Shawn Landenwitch, pastor of Mary, Queen of Angels Family of Parishes. “We were just preparing to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the statue.” ASE’s founder, George, Bill’s grandfather, was the founder and erected the statue one month before his death: the late George established the shrine in 1964, when Sandy Beach amusement park was located on Indian Lake, Father Landenwitch said. “Quatman wanted to improve the morality of the people, and thought that by placing a large statue of Our Lady, there would be a positive influence.”

For two weeks, the statue could not be found. An eyewitness “looked out halfway through the storm and saw that the upper part of the statue was gone. Later, the entire statue was gone. … [maybe] into the water of Indian Lake.”

But local volunteers were committed to the statue’s recovery. On Saturday, March 30, two weeks after its disappearance, a local dive team found the statue at the bottom of the murky lake.

“Visibility was near zero, and drones could not locate her, so divers had to feel for the statue in the dark. She was found about 150 feet off the shore,” said Bill Quatman, Chairman of ASE and grandson of its founder,, “after being blown off the concrete pedestal. She never touched the ground and must have flown 50- 100 yards in the air. That would have been quite a site to see!”

“Being 60 years old and the damage it sustained,” ASE plans to dedicate a new statue in 2026, said Father Landenwitch. “The pedestal sustained a lot of damage itself. The plan is to take down the entire remaining structure and regrade the ground for the time being, so the area will be clean and safe for people.”

A group normally gathers at the statue to pray the Rosary on Mondays between May and October, and members hold a Eucharistic Procession and Family Fun Day in October. While these events’ statuses are pending, the annual Mass celebrating the feast of the Assumption in August is being relocated to St. Mary of the Woods Church.

“In terms of the demolition and landscaping that will need to happen, we’re not sure what things will look like in August,” said Father Landenwitch.

Regarding the planned celebration of the statue’s anniversary, Quatman said, “We could not properly celebrate the 60th anniversary of the statue under the circumstances.”

For now, ASE is not soliciting donations nor design ideas for the new project, and it asks that anyone wishing to help donate instead to the Logan County United Way’s Tornado Relief Fund. ASE made a $25,000 donation to the Relief Fund to help other tornado victims.

“We suffered property damage,” said Quatman, “but others in the community suffered injuries [and] loss of life … home or business. We felt compelled to give back. Our prayers are with the affected community.”

“St. Mary of the Woods Church sustained only minor damage from debris,” said Father Landenwitch. “We are grateful that all of our parishioners are safe. We didn’t have any injuries or deaths amongst all our parishioners. Prayers for those who were killed or injured, and for their families, are appreciated.”

This article appeared in the May 2024 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here