A community has reacted with shock and sadness after devastating scenes emerged from inside a church that has been broken into several times over the past week.
The Kildrumferton Group Parishes shared photographs of the damage to a Church of Ireland building in Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, on Facebook, showing debris and rubbish scattered throughout the building.
Items can be seen strewn across the pews, while sticks, cardboard boxes and rubbish bags are among the mess left inside.
The parish said they were ‘sad to share’ that their church building had been broken into several times over the past week.
They said they were understandably saddened by what had happened and the damage caused, but added that they were also praying for those responsible.
The parish said they hoped God would bring those responsible ‘hope, peace and a change of heart’.
The post prompted an outpouring of reaction from members of the community, with one person describing the scenes as ‘absolutely shocking’.
Another commented: ‘Is nowhere sacred anymore?’ while others described the behaviour as ‘disgraceful’ and said that disrespecting any place of worship was wrong regardless of a person’s beliefs.
There were also messages of support for the parish, with people expressing hope that those responsible would be caught and that the church could be restored to its original condition.
Despite what has happened, the parish said they remain committed to the building being ‘a place of welcome, prayer and love’.