Burglars in Dingle, Co Kerry, on the annual rampage targeting the proceeds of Easter dues and the Lenten collection for Trocaire were foiled when they failed to break open the parish safe in the presbytery. And when they proceeded to ransack the church sacristy, they only got a note left for them by the parish’s wily former PP.
They ransacked the clergy’s private living quarters and the sacristy and in a separate but possibly connected incident, the sacristy in Firies, some miles away was also burgled unsuccessfully.
Parish priest Fr Tom Looney attributed the empty-handed outcome to the strength of the safe in which the Easter offerings and money for Trocaire had been locked.
“They opened every press but they took nothing and had no interest in chalices, televisions or books - they searched everywhere for the key to the safe but failed" he said.
However, considerable damage was done to furniture and fittings in the robbery and a filing cabinet was removed from the house and smashed open in the garden.
The thieves also broke into the sacristy of the nearby church in Dingle which was also damaged but nothing substantial was stolen.
“They broke a window and some presses in the sacristy and could have taken the candle money but that was only pennies and they left them behind on the floor" said Fr Looney.
And his predecessor, Monsignor Padraig O Fiannachta told parishioners that he had personally removed money from collection boxes and left a note for would-be thieves saying “God knows who you are”.
The Firies break-in also proved fruitless; the thieves broke into the sacristy safe which fortunately, contained nothing.
Fr Looney said he prayed for these thieves but hope they would be caught.
“I'm very conscious of the amount of violence, sin and immorality that there is in our society today” he remarked.
“This incident could have happened in anyone's house and it's the product of evil,"
Meanwhile, thieves in search of Easter and Trocaire collection proceeds who broke into the presbytery in Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow while Fr. Brian O'Reilly was saying Mass had better luck.
The intruders disconnected the phone line and removed fuses to cut off electricity before making off with 1,500 US dollars and €900.
While the targeting of churches and priests by burglars peaks at times of major collections such as Christmas and Easter, it is not confined to those times.
In February, a parochial house at Poulpeasty, Co. Wexford, was burgled while the priest was out saying evening Mass.
In separate incidents also in February, cars parked at Mass time outside churches at Errill, Co. Laois and Moneygall, Co. Offaly, were broken into by thieves.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce