Posted on 05/03/2006 5:55:21 AM PDT by Teófilo
Sanctuary desecrated, sacred items stolen
By KATHY MELLOTT The Tribune-Democrat
WILMORE — Burglars broke into one of the oldest churches in the region and desecrated the sanctuary before stealing consecrated hosts, a paten used to hold communion, two chalices and an incense container.
The disturbing break-in occurred at St. Bartholomew’s Roman Catholic Church, which was started in 1840 by Prince Demetrius Gallitzin.
“We consider it a major desecration,” said Rob Egan, spokesman for the Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Diocese. The crimes included vandalism along with the theft of the blessed items.
The Rev. Charles Bodziak, who also serves a parish in Cassandra, and one of the altar servers discovered the break-in, which probably occurred between 8:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday morning, Egan said.
Because of the sacrilege, Mass will not be held at the church until a reparation service has been held by Bishop Joseph Adamec, Egan said. A date for that service has not been scheduled.
The church serves 122 families.
Summerhill Township police think the thief got into the building by prying open locked double-metal doors at the rear of the church. The church is along a side road on top of a hill overlooking the borough of Wilmore.
There were no leads as of late Tuesday and the investigation is continuing, said Kelly Sanders, Summerhill Township assistant police chief.
The state police crime lab in Greensburg helped process the scene.
Parishioners – including Pauline Minor, Betty Skrout and Carrie Dell – dropped by the church Tuesday after word of the burglary spread.
“This feels worse than if they would break into your home,” said Skrout, a parishioner at the church for the past 47 years.
For Minor, the church’s director of religious education, the crime could not have come at a worse time. First Holy Communion is scheduled for Sunday, a Mass she was forced to delay until the bishop can come in for the reparation service.
Dell, who has been a St. Bartholomew member for nearly 50 years, said the burglary is reflective of today’s troubled society.
“It’s a terrible world out there,” she said as she surveyed the destruction, including the damaged tabernacle.
Caretaker Ray Schrift said the destruction and stolen items fail to make much sense.
“It’s weird. There’s valuable stuff that they left. Whoever did it knew where the church was and how to get it,” he said, speculating that the crime was more than a random act by someone passing by.
While burglary in general is difficult to deal with, especially hard is vandalism and destruction at a church, officials said.
“It’s a desecration of a church. It’s something we hold sacred: Consecrated hosts were taken,” Egan said.
Roman Catholics believe the consecrated host to be the body of Christ.
“A place of worship has been violated,” Egan said.
Although I'm not saying there's a connection, the previous cases involved teens invading the churches during Sunday services and/or Masses, shouting obscenities and satanic slogans. You may search the Tribune Democrat's website for these news.
But this incident was aimed directly at the holiest Object in Catholic worship: consecrated hosts bearing the Real Presence of Jesus. Though incidents like this one have happened before everywhere and throughout history, it's still shocking when it happens in one's own back yard.
The goal of this activity is clearly to intimidate Catholic believers into fear, indifference, and submission before wanton societal evil. Personally, I will not be intimidated. I pray for the conversion and healing of those involved.
PING.
Sorry, this was not a mosque or a black church. Nothing to see here, not news, move it along.
That's right! What was I thinking!
-Theo
Any mosques with "othodox-oriented imams" in the area?
http://www.tribune-democrat.com/siteSearch/apstorysection/local_story_094232913.html
I will pray for the people of St. Bartholomew's, and also for whoever did this horrible act, as they need Christ.
Catholic ping!
Very sad and a bad portent. God haters are very dangerous people. If churches and sacred items are considered fair game, will religious believers also be victimized?
Definitely Satanism. They have taken the consecrated Host to perform blasphemous ceremonies. When the perpetrators are caught, I suspect they will be found to be involved in Satanism, and less probably are involved in methadone dealing and certain types of heavy metal bands.
Very bad ju-ju to steal Jesus.
When these morons are caught, its not just their afterlife they have to worry about. The other prisoners will eat them alive.
And meanwhile, in NYC, public blasphemy and sacrilege is considered a form of entertainment:
"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven."
Indeed. But it is a terrible thing, and unfortunately all manner of influences encourage the hatred of God these days.
Yes, very terrible. I am not one to have the scriptures memorized to quote, that was one that just hit me when you asked previously about how long until people are persecuted.
I pray and cry for the people and their loss but I fear not because my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is not harmed by the acts of fools. He has risen and he will come again. I hope those responsible are prepared to answer.
Christos Voskrese! Voistino Voskrese!
I agree with you! However, as a good Lutheran, I wonder if mocking the Devil would be effective in this matter.
Can you imagine singing, (to parody the old TV commercial)
My God's better than your God,
My God's better than yours...
The devil is proud and hates mockery! Weakling he is, who rebelled against the Living God. He's been defeated on every side and yet he cons people into thinking he's God's equal. He is not. Michael is his opposite number, not God.
Christ has risen!
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