A four-foot Virgin Mary statue was unearthed by construction crews in Hopkinton, just west of Boston. The statue was buried underground for at least 20 years before being unearthed just last week.

The Virgin Mary statue was in almost pristine condition after being unearthed by construction crews working at the Golden Pond assisted living facility in Hopkinton, Mass., reports WBZ-TV. The origins of the Virgin Mary statue remain a mystery as, before being the home to Golden Pond, the location was occupied by two mobile homes, notes WBZ-TV. Before the mobile homes, there was no one living, nor any buildings, on the property.

According to Golden Pond executive director, Bill Marr, the Virgin Mary statue was unearthed when “we were trying to get tree roots pulled out that the excavator shovel pulled the statue out of the ground,” notes WBZ-TV. The construction crews were working on a new addition to Golden Pond at the time of the discovery according to the Metrowest Daily News.

The only damage to the statue was a small chip on the Virgin Mary statue's robe, reports The Metrowest Daily News. Marr believes the Virgin Mary statue is not an ancient relic from colonial times, instead Marr believes the statue is a rather recent creation, due in part to the statue looking like it had been cast from a mold, reports The Metrowest Daily News. Marr hopes to get more answers when he discusses the Virgin Mary statue with officials from the historical society, notes WBZ-TV.

“It’s even beyond incredible that it was found 20 days before Christmas,” notes WBZ-TV. Andrea Brass, a resident of Golden Pond, adds “I think the statue is absolutely beautiful [and] I think it’s a precursor of good things to come for this place.”

The Virgin Mary statue is in Marr's office but he wants to find a permanent home for the statue inside Golden Pond's chapel, reports WBZ-TV.

Christmas