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Church break-in thwarted by passerby, police

GUYANA

A Facebook post from Our Lady of Fatima Church, Bourda, Georgetown, on Friday, September 13, reported that thieves broke into the church building Thursday night (September 12), but were observed by a passerby who alerted the police.

According to the Catholic Standard, the police responded promptly, thwarting the act but the thieves subsequently escaped. The thieves had opened the prayer request boxes and scattered the prayer requests. They tried to remove the sanctuary fan, extension cord and kettle.

The post went on to say “We give thanks to God and the protection of the Blessed Virgin that no one was injured, and nothing taken. Our grateful thanks to the alert passerby and the police”.

Fr Joel Rathna, parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima church, expressed his concern following the break-in. In a statement to Catholic Media, Fr Rathna described the incident as unfortunate but reassured the community that measures are being taken to enhance safety at the parish.

The diocesan weekly reported that Fr Rathna has already consulted with the Parish Council on implementing additional security measures to improve protection for the church. He also extended his heartfelt gratitude to the passerby who raised the alarm, and to the Guyana Police Force for their prompt response.

Importantly, Fr Rathna noted that the Blessed Sacrament was not removed from the storage vault, which he regards as a blessing and a reason for thankfulness. The parish remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of its members and sacred items.