A PARISH priest in a city church has urged a "young man" who stole a woman's purse during mass last Sunday, to return it to the church. The Catholic church might be suffering from falling numbers but a callous criminal found last Sunday that going to Mass, even for a short period, can be quite profitable.
And as Crime Prevention Officer in Henry Street Garda Station, Liam Sheahan warned "it just goes to show there is nothing sacred in the eyes of some of our finest thieves."
On Sunday last when most people were praying and watching the priest on the altar at St Josephs Church, O'Connell Avenue one church goer had other things on his mind during a very short visit while Fr Michael Wall was saying mass.
A lady praying left here purse on the seat beside her and the young culprit spotted his opportunity.
"When mass had ended she discovered her purse was missing. A small amount of cash was in the purse. This mass was on at 10am in the morning so the thief was our bright and early."
What the young thief does not realise is that he was caught on CCTV and the fact that a number of people in the church spotted him dashing off. He had been acting suspiciously in the area and the new security system has caught him red handed.
"I would appeal to him to bring back the purse and the keys in it and leave them here in the church. We have very good security here and CCTV and we caught him on it," said parish priest Fr Tom Mangan.
"While we have CCTV we all need to be security conscious, although I must say that is not the type of thing that happens regularly. It was a once off," he stated.
Sgt Sheahan said that females, especially those going to Holy Communion, should not leave their purses behind them and be extra careful.
SIC: LkL