St. Irene may be the patron saint of peace, but last week her image provoked an unseemly squabble. Two days before Christmas, thieves stole a small jewel- encrusted painting of the saint from St. Irene Greek Orthodox Cathedral, which is located in Astoria, a predominantly Greek neighborhood in New York City. The icon, which congregationers say began to shed tears at the prospect of the Persian Gulf war, is valued by the church at $800,000. Church leaders went on television to plead for the icon's return. New York Mayor David Dinkins -- and the Mafia -- joined the appeal. On Dec....
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