Posted on 12/26/2006 10:39:44 AM PST by DogByte6RER
December 26, 2006
Fast Track to Hell: Stealing From a Church on Christmas
At Christmas Mass at the Church of St. Mel in Flushing, Queens, robbers stole a money box with $20,000. The money, collected from three Christmas Eve Masses and the 7:30AM Christmas Mass and meant for church expenses and needy children, was kept in a 100 pound money box. The robbers hit around 9:20AM and witnesses saw men putting the box into an SUV with Vermont license plates. A parishioner did take the license plate number and give it to the police (the SUV belongs to a NYC resident), but it's unclear whether the money will be recovered. From the NY Times:
Established in 1941 and named after a nephew of St. Patrick, St. Mel’s sits in a neighborhood of well-kept brick houses with trimmed shrubbery, on 154th Street between 26th and 27th Avenues. “It’s the kind of place you could leave your side door open and not worry,” Ms. DiMaggio said.
That was the door the thieves used to leave, according to Father Turczany.
He said that about 8:30 a.m., as he was preparing for Mass, he saw a man in a striped gray winter hat — “full faced,” as he put it, with an olive complexion — wandering near a staircase close to the sacristy. Nearby was the safe, which contained church valuables, including money from collections and a gold chalice.
“He said, ‘I’m looking for a bathroom,’ ” Father Turczany said. “I told him, ‘Well, you’re going the wrong way.’ My suspicion was aroused.”
Unfortunately, suspicions can't stop robbers! And unfortunately the thieves were able to open the walk-in safe where the money box was kept. It's unclear whether it was an inside job.
The pastor, Reverend Christopher Turczany spoke to the media about the robbery. While very upset and concerned about how he will make payments on lighting and to payroll (Daily News), he reflected that at least the incident did not end violently (NY Times). But even he did not "feel that much pity" as the SUV the robbers had was a "Lincoln Navigator" (Newsday).
Maybe the police should check the whereabouts of the newly elected Socialist U.S. Senator from Vermont, Bernard Sanders.
Socialists of Sanders' ilk seem to always have a grudge against the Church and organizaed religion...
Think again, Mrs. DiMaggio.
""How we doin', any converts today?"
"Not a one, nay, nay, nay."
"We flattened their fingers, we branded their buns!
Nothing is working! Send in the nuns!""
I like Mel. :)
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Looks like they may have a lot of company:
85% of U.S. dioceses report embezzlements
Parishes and dioceses lack external and internal controls, report finds
http://ncrcafe.org/node/779
The Democratic party dogma:
We need to rid ourselves of churches and what they stand for to prevent them from enticing those who we want to help from faltering and making our agenda look less appealing.
That is a description? That could be anyone from an Italian to muslims looking for infidels to plunder...
You mean, Saint Mel!
Ms. DiMaggio is living in the past. I can remember a time when you could leave your doors wide open and no one broke in or bothered your property. I lived in a close-knit communtiy where everyone knew everyone else and everyone looked after each other and each other's property. And churches were open 24/7/365. But that era has been over maybe about 40 or 50 years. Most churches in my neck of the woods, when not in use for services and church business, are locked up tighter than Fort Knox.
Sorry ... my tolerance level is zero.
Mine too.
Our church was doing some remodeling several years back. Behind a pannelled wall the crew found many collection envelopes from the 50's and early 60's where someone had taken out the cash and threw the empty envelopes behind the wall. Probably the person in charge of collecting the envelopes during mass or after. Of course the torn open envelopes were empty.
Embezelment has gone on for ages.
I read a similar story about another priest, but he died before he could be brought up on charges.
I guess thieves are present in every profession. Sad though that a few dishonest clergy seem to taint the good and honest majority.
I'm guessing traveler/gypsy....sounds like one of their MOs.
A couple of years ago, a thief broke into our pastor's car in the church parking lot while we were all in church for Christmas Eve service.
Always lock your car when in church. It is a ripe target for thieves.
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