ST. JOSEPH — Some Christmas figurines have been returned to a central Minnesota church as mysteriously as they disappeared from its nativity display.

The Rev. Jerome Tupa of the Church of St. Joseph, in St. Joseph, said figures of Mary, Joseph and three sheep were stolen late last Thursday or early Friday, and a shepherd was stolen on Thanksgiving Day.

Sandy Scholz, the church’s business manager, said that Mary, Joseph and the shepherd were returned sometime early Tuesday. But she says some animal figurines were still missing.

The pastor said the 3-foot plaster figurines had a value beyond money for many parishioners because they’ve been with the church for several decades.

The parish still had the baby Jesus because it’s not placed in the nativity scene until Christmas.