There will be no bell ringing at a Catholic church in eastern Victoria this Christmas, because of a bizarre act of vandalism.
Someone broke into the bell tower at St Joseph's Catholic Church at Warragul on the weekend and cut through a thick steel cable.
The parish priest, Father Herman Hengel, says it means the church's 100-year-old bell cannot be rung until a new cable is installed.
Father Hengel says it is a bizarre act of vandalism.
"Nobody has complained to us about the noise of the bell," he said.
He is not sure if someone has a grudge against the church or just wants to be funny.
"We can't ring the bell now until we replace it and that's going to cost quite a bit of money I suppose."
Father Hengel says they will have to get a cherry picker in to help install the new cable and whoever did it was well prepared.
"On Monday morning we went to have a look and the rope wasn't there. It was cut off with bolt-cutters," he said. "It is a substantial steel rope which is used in drag lines and things. So it is not just a little string or anything or like that. Well, I laugh, because who the hell wants to do that?"
Local police are investigating.