On Friday a man entered the monastery and stole two small statues from the shop area - one a porcelain statue of Mary, and another of St Michael the Archangel.

He returned later that evening, breaking into the chapel and ended up stealing Lenten giving envelopes.

Sister Johanna Keil-Penn said they were "quite fearful" about the second theft.

"I never thought I would have to go through this again."

"This time is much scarier though as they broke in twice, whereas the first time they entered while we were open."

A person who knew the man has since returned the statues.

But for their own safety and to prevent yet another theft, the sisters are now locking the chapel door during the day with someone standing guard.

Sister Johanna said it was something they resisted doing after last year's theft, preferring to keep it open so people could use it.

"We just have to be practical and for our own welfare, which is most important."

"The last thing we want is for a statue to be stolen again, we don't want to take that risk."

"If anyone's genuinely wanting to pray, we open the door for them so they understand too, which is good."

Police confirmed they're investigating the theft and told 1 NEWS they're "following lines of inquiry".

Detective Senior Sergeant Kathy Bostock says she's not aware of any similar crimes at other churches in the area recently.

Source

• tvnz.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: screenshot tvnz.co.nz

A large statue of the Sacred Heart along with a Little Infant of Prague statue, were seen being carried out of the Carmelite Monastery in Royal Oak in Auckland by a man and a woman who were caught on CCTV before 7.00 am last Friday.

Sister Johanna's familiarity with social media seems to have challenged the image many people have of what a contemplative nun is like.

RNZ described her as someone "who helps out at the monastery".

She had been hard on the case since the heist, running the CCTV footage through software to get clear shots of the couple before posting them to Facebook.

"Sadly, during this time, our chapel was empty, and we were about to begin our Morning Prayer. The Police have been notified. As you can see the car license plate is LKL441 - 1994 HONDA, please keep an eye out at flea markets or online. Thank you"

The statues were eventually found in a nearby cemetery the next day.

It may come as a surprise to many that according to the Daily Mail, "The monastery has owned the statue since 940AD" Johanna's post, however, makes a more modest claim: "Most Sacred Heart of Jesus which has been with us since 1940."

Johanna does not hold anything against the couple, but she hopes they might find God in the process.

"No, I don't have any angry feelings towards them, just empathy. I feel sorry - I know you're a young couple, but you've got a whole life ahead of you," she wrote.

"I pray that perhaps that this is a grace for them that perhaps they might find the Lord in their lives, so there is a reason."

Source

• tvnz.co.nz
• dailymail.co.uk
• rnz.co.nz
• tvnz.co.nz
• facebook
• Image: screenshot tvnz.co.nz

Police called the "burglary" an "unusual" crime and asked anyone who had seen any suspicious activity near the church between February 12 and February 17 to get in touch with them.

But now they have solved the mystery. Continue reading

Dominican Father Michael Hurley, pastor of St. Dominic's Church in San Francisco told CNA. "We just want it back."

Catholic tradition holds that St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, found the Cross during her visits to the Holy Land in the 4th Century.

The fragment housed at St. Dominic's has been verified by the Vatican as being a splinter from that Cross that St. Helena found.

The vestments were more than 100 years old and have significant meaning to the central city church.

The items are very distinctive and would be of little value to anyone outside the church, police said.

They include matched sets of burses, palls, manipules and veils in church 'season' colours - red, white, green and purple.

Church sacristan Susan Atkins said the vestments probably came from a guild in England.

They were in a locked glass display cabinet. A slide-lock from the cabinet was found lying on the floor, having been popped off the top of the sliding glass doors.

While some Anglican churches had done away with ceremonial frills from the past, the vestments had been on display to show people the beauty from what at times felt like a bygone era, Atkins said.

The vestments have been used for communion services particularly on special occasions such as the Wellington church's 150th birthday.

"We would never leave our silver and things out. We've had bits of brass stolen off the big eagle [at the front of the church]. People used to screw bits off of it because they could sell the brass.

"The poor box has been replaced so many times, I think it's stronger than Fort Knox now. One time someone smashed it clear from the wall."

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

Opihi parish property manager David Attwood said some of the items recovered had to be fished out of a river and that some had been damaged.

A statue of an angel, a procession cross, and a chalice dating back to 1949 were recovered from the river. The cross and chalice were able to be cleaned up, however the statue was badly damaged.

Other items returned, including lectionaries, crucifixes, an aspergillum (holy water sprinkler) and two large candle sticks have been in the church since it was built in 1936. Read more

Thieves entered through the main doors of the Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception on Peel St, by forcing them open.

A gold chalice, a small silver cyborium (plate) (sic), crystal vessels with communion wine in them and a wooden cross were also taken from the unlocked sacristy (a room where the priest keeps vestments). A Roman Missal, used for readings, and a lectionary, which has the gospel and the epistles in it were also stolen.

However what was most offensive to the parishioners was that the thieves had tampered with the tabernacle.

Opihi Parish property manager David Atwood said he felt violated, as did the other more than 50 parishioners at mass on Sunday morning, once they discovered what had happened. Read more

A five-foot high (152cm) brass candle holder, St Mary's church in Carterton last weekend.

Church lay pastoral leader Sharron Penny said the candlestick had been in the church for "generations" and was an important part of the church's liturgy and heritage.

Penney said the candlestick was used at a funeral service on Friday, September 5.

She replaced the candle on the Saturday morning, but when congregation members arrived to set up for Mass that evening, the candlestick was gone.

Source

• The New Zealand Herald
• Image: Wairarapa Times Age Erin Kavanagh-Hal