When the Catholic Dioceses of Orlando deeded the Old St. Rita’s Colored Mission to the Mary S Harrell Black Heritage Museum in 1999, the Virgin Mary statue came with it. When Mr. & Mrs. John Spinelli visited the museum recently and saw the statue at the entrance; he offered to do a “makeover” on her. He took it to his shop in Deland and returned it to the museum in pristine condition. Today, museum visitors are greeted with a freshly painted statue of Blessed Mary.
