The discovery of a newborn baby boy, made by the custodian of a church in Queens, has stunned a New York City community in recent days.
The infant, who still had his umbilical cord attached, was found swaddled in towels and lying in a manger which the church had erected for the festive season.
According to the the custodian, he heard crying on his return from lunch, but was unable to ascertain where the sound was coming from.
Following the noise, he eventually discovered the newborn child at the front of the church, laying among the iconic Nativity scene.
According to New York law, an individual who anonymously drops an infant off at a church, hospital, police or fire station will not face arrest, however the Abandoned Infant Protection Act asserts that authorities must be notified and/or the child must be left in the care of someone.
Owing to a failure on this front, the parents of the infant, who was discovered in the Richmond Hill church, are now being tracked down by police officials.
Commenting on the case, Church pastor Christopher Heanue encouraged the public to keep all those involved in the case in their thoughts, saying: "Let us pray for this child, for his parents, and for whomever will receive him into their home."
Sounding hopeful, he continued: "The beautiful thing is that this woman found in this church - which is supposed to be a home for those in need - this home for her child."
Reflecting on the circumstances surrounding the infant's abandonment, he finished on an upbeat note, insisting: "A young couple in our parish would love to adopt this child and keep this gift in our community. It would make a great Christmas miracle."
We certainly hope so.
