GROVE CITY — Guilty conscience or Christmas spirit?

Whatever the reason, two wood-carved sheep statues that were stolen from a church’s Nativity display two weeks ago are back in their rightful place.

The statues along with an attached note turned up anonymously Wednesday in the display — in front of the Grace United Methodist Church on South Broad Street — from where they were snatched.

The note, presumably left by the repentant and still unknown thief, read: “Sorry. Merry Christmas.”

The unexpected happy ending, days before Christmas, elated church officials and the community.

“It’s so nice to have them back with the shepherds,” church secretary Mary Kay Mattocks said this morning, referring to the once missing lambs. “Were so happy; so excited. We thought we’d never see them again.”

The church three years ago commissioned a Mercer artist to create the 12-character nativity scene, which also, of course, includes a manger.

“It was all hand cut of special wood and special paint to withstand any weather,” Mattocks said. “This was no ordinary display. It was unique and specially made for us. It was a one-and-only.”

Church officials suspect the thief struck Dec. 3 or 4, stealing the statues — one depicting a lamb lying down and the other one of a lamb standing.

The stolen statues, between a foot-and-a half and two feet high, are the smallest ones that comprise the display. Combined, they are valued at an estimated $200.

“We couldn’t believe someone could take them,” Mattocks said. “It goes to show that nothing is sacred anymore.”

The church reported the theft to Grove City police, who apparently had made little headway in their investigation.

Police were not immediately available for comment this morning.

But as far as the church is concerned, the case became closed Wednesday morning when Pastor Howard Greenfield showed up for work and discovered the sheep statues were back.

“One was leaning up against one of the shepherds,” Mattocks said, “and the other was in a garbage bag behind a wise man.”

When the lamb was lifted out of the bag, church officials saw the apologetic Post-it note.

The consensus among church leaders and members is that the perpetrator was likely a youth acting on a dare or a college student pulling a prank.

“It doesn’t really matter now, and we said all along that we were not going to press charges,” Mattocks said. “All we wanted was our sheep returned.”