ANGER OVER CHURCH DAMAGE
St Anne’s Church set to review security in light of first ever break-in
THE community around St Anne’s Parish Church has been left shocked and angry after thieves targeted the church for the first time ever last weekend.
It’s suspected more than one person was involved in the break in some time between 9-11pm on Friday night. The determined culprits tried first to smash their way in through two doors to the new extension before finally managing to break into the doors of the old ‘crying room’ of the original church.
They continued to smash their way into the sacristy, badly damaging that door as well, before ransacking the room.
They made off with only a small amount of cash and the hard drive of the CCTV camera. Parish Priest Fr Pat Lombard has spoken of his shock at the break in.
THREE priests living at St Anne’s Parish Church in Sligo town are reviewing their personal security and that of the church after thieves broke into the church last Friday night.
The thieves damaged three external doors trying to break in and finally got in through the doors of the Family room in the old church some time before 11pm.
They smashed open the door of the sacristy and rifled the office before stealing some petty cash and the hard drive of the CCTV cameras.
External flood lights and cameras were also broken and interfered with.
St Anne’s Parish Priest Fr Pat Lombard, who lives in a bungalow behind the church with Fr Steve Walsh and retired PP Fr Dominick Gillooly, came upon the scene at 11pm, narrowly missing an encounter with the culprits.
“I went over to check the office and discovered, lo and behold the broken doors. There’s a sense of relief that nothing sacred was touched, the sacred spaces weren’t damaged in any way and no one was hurt,” Fr Pat told The Sligo Champion.
“They took the hard drive of the CCTV and some money from the petty cash but not that much. The main damage is to the doors. They were looking for money,” he said, adding that the vandals had not been able to break open their safe.
“They must have used sledgehammers because those doors are very strong. It’s quiet around here after Aldi closes at 10pm,” he said.
Fr Pat alerted the Gardaí and the area was forensically tested for clues.
One positive aspect has been the public outpouring of support according to Fr Pat.
“There’s been a huge outpouring of good wishes to us. People have phoned and called in to us to see if we’re alright and offer support. We’re very much at the heart of the community here. We stretch out and reach out to them in all their ups and downs and they want to support us as well,” he said.
“They’re part of our family. We thank God that it all could have been so much worse and no one was hurt. We appreciate the promptness and professionalism of the Gardaí in every way,” he said.
“We’ ll have to look at our own security and that of the church now in light of what’s happened,” he added.
Separately on Friday, Gardaí seized a quantity of stolen cable which was cut from poles along the Ballydoogan to Knocknarea Road last week.
Local Gardaí and detectives, carried out a search of a location and recovered the stolen cable - an investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, a 15 year old youth was arrested for allegedly driving a stolen car in Sligo early on Sunday morning.