Fr joes appeal for return of sacred vessels

“What was stolen was not of any great monetary value, but for sentimental reasons they are priceless,” says Fr Joe McGrath, who on his last weekend as parish priest in Streete, had the misfortune of being the victim of a burglary.

In fact, two churches – St Mary’s in Boherquill and St Mary’s in Coole – were broken into last week and all the sacred Mass vessels were taken.

“We lost absolutely everything for celebrating Mass. We were left with nothing. I’m 28 years a priest and I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Fr Joe. “The vessels were of huge sentimental value to the parishioners. It’s heart-breaking to see people in their 70s and 80s crying their eyes out because the items that were stolen would have been used when they were making their First Holy Communion, Confirmation, maybe even in the celebration of their weddings.

“And the cold-hearted way in which they were taken... They were of greater sentimental value than anything else because they were ‘gold- looking’, and ‘silver-looking’, but not actually gold and silver.”

It is understood the church in Boherquill was broken into on Wednesday last week during the daytime. More than 13 items were stolen. Coole was targeted the following day, when the glass in the sacristy door was broken. The closets were ransacked and Mass vessels were also stolen.

“The church in Boherquill was completely open, which raises another issue. Do you now have to lock a country church during the day? That means people can’t go in to light a candle, to say a prayer, or have a simple moment of silence because of this,” said Fr Joe.

“They got access to the sacristy. There’s always one key hidden and only the ladies of the parish know where it is so they get in to clean. But the burglars obviously found it during their search.

“It looks like the locked themselves in, took the bin liner out of the bin, and filled it full of everything they could lay their hands on.”

In total 13 sacred Mass vessels were stolen, including four chalices, five ciboria of various designs, silver cruets, and three or more patens but there could have been more taken according to Fr Joe.

“That’s what we could count. They made their getaway out of the side door, which couldn’t be seen easily from the road.

“A lady discovered that all the chalices were gone on Wednesday but I thought maybe one of the other women had taken them home for cleaning which often happens.

“It wasn’t till Friday when the penny dropped. I went into say evening Mass and that’s when I discovered that everything was gone. I rang the guards and they said the church in Coole had also been done on the Thursday.”

Appeal

Fr Joe is moving to a parish in north Longford, in Ballinamuck, and hopes that his appeal for the safe return of the sacred vessels will bring results.

“If somebody knows something, if somebody is implicated or heard a whisper as to who is responsible, I would ask them to encourage whoever was involved to return the vessels to a safe place.

“It’s not just because they are sacred Mass vessels, but they are there for years, possibly donated by the ancestors of the parishioners who attend this church.

“For instance, the family of the late Fr John Francis Kiernan donated his Ordination chalice and paten. That’s irreplaceable for the family.

“If these people have any heart at all, or feeling for the people of this parish, put them somewhere that they will be found.

“And if someone is offered these for sale, such as the shops that take gold and silver, and they are without and registration certificates please let us know.

“For me, it was my last weekend in the area. I was part and parcel of the fabric of the area for the last seven years or so, and I’m leaving with this taste in my mouth that I’ve somehow failed to protect the Mass vessels.

“It’s a sense that I’m leaving the parish with nothing – nothing to say Mass with.”