Hidden treasure was found in the basement of Saint Bernadette’s Shrine Church in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. Hidden for decades, the historic image of Our Lady of Pompeii has been recently restored pro bono by Cente Art Studio of NYC (307 W 38th Street-www.centerart.com). 

Dyker Heights, a long-time Italian enclave, is home to thousands of Italians and Italian Americans and has steadily been the destination for decades of Italian immigrants. Over the years, waves of Italians with different devotions have walked in and out of the parish of Saint Bernadette. Somewhere along the line, almost eighty years ago, the painting was left to be discovered at a later time.