During a construction project at a nursing home in Massachusetts, workers unearthed a statue of the Virgin Mary that is thought to have been buried for several decades.

Reports indicate that the 4-foot concrete statue was found while a backhoe was digging in an area next to the Golden Pond facility assisted living facility in Hopkinton, Mass., a short distance outside of Boston.

That statue was have thought to been underground for at least 20 years and residents and administrators at the facility were amazed the statue was in such good condition. They considered it a miracle that it was found undamaged this close to Christmas.

"It's even beyond incredible that it was found 20 days before Christmas … the timing of the year could be more symbolic," Bill Marr, the facility's executive director, told WBZ-TV.

The question regarding how the statue came to be buried in the ground for so long remains unanswered, but residents are delighted they were able to find it.

"It's a wonderful thing. I think the statue is absolutely beautiful [and] I think it's a precursor of good things to come for this place," Andrea Brass, a resident of Golden Pond, told CBS.

Follow us

The statue may never have been found if not for the keen eye of one of the residents of the facility.

As the backhoe was digging it began to build up a pile of dirt, and a passing resident happened to spot something protruding out of the pile. When the pedestrian went over to see what it was, they pulled out the statue.

"He ran into the building and ran straight to the Deacon and said they had just found the Virgin Mary," Marr explained.

Marr revealed that he had already contacted a local historian and will be hoping they can uncover the history behind the statue. Marr added that once the statue is cleaned up it will be placed in the building's multifaith chapel.