A church has offered a R2000 reward for information about their antique silverware, used for holy communion, that was stolen during a burglary last week.
The congregants of the St. Joseph The Worker Anglican Church in Bishop Lavis were in shock when they arrived for their Wednesday service and found the church’s vestry broken into and valuables worth R100 000 missing.
Church warden Kevin Isaacs, 40, says they got a skrik when they found brass crosses, silver chalices and serving equipment missing from the vestry.
“The church staff arrived on Wednesday morning and found that the thieves had climbed on the roof and entered the vestry through a window,” he says.
“The doors leading to the vestry are locked so they did not get into the main church building, but they stole all the silverware used for communion.
CARE: The church received donations for Sunday’s service. Photo: SUPPLIED
“The equipment is worth R100 000 and has been at the church for many years and is part of our history.”
Church staff say they found all the drawers in the vestry open and clothing worn by the priests strewn on the floor.
Kevin says they reported the matter to Bishop Lavis SAPS and detectives dusted the vestry for fingerprints.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Andrè Traut confirms the theft is being investigated and says no arrests have been made.
TARGET: Bishop Lavis church offering a reward for information. Photo: SUPPLIED
Kevin says for Sunday’s service, the church managed to get donations from other parishes so the congregation could partake of holy communion.
“There have been mixed reactions, but this has rattled the congregation. I mean, who steals from a church? The church has been in this community for 63 years now.”
Kevin says he has been going around to second-hand shops and scrap yards to enquire if the skelms had tried to sell the stolen items.
HIT: The church vestry was ransacked by heartless skelms. Photo: SUPPLIED
“I grew up in the church and the items have a lot of sentimental value,” he says.
“I have been trying to find where the items might have been sold, but have not found anything yet.
STOLEN: Communion chalices. Photo: SUPPLIED
“I am offering the R2000 for information that helps us catch the perpetrators and recover the goods.”
Anyone with info can call the church on 021 934 1028.