Communion items stolen from All Saints Anglican Church

Police are searching for items stolen from a downtown church after someone broke in by throwing a large chunk of concrete through a stained-glass window.

The break-in happened at All Saints Anglican Church at 521 Broadway between the afternoon of July 29 and the morning of July 30.

Rev. Rob Schoeck was readying his noon service on July 30 when he noticed the gaping hole in the window of the church’s sacristy.

Chalices and silver plates used in communion — and some silver plates, bowls and baptism pitchers — had been stolen from the room.

“We lost quite a few practical items that really are significant to our weekly worship and to our identity as Christians,” Schoeck said.

All of the items are 100 per cent silver and pewter. They are priceless to the congregation.

“It was a really massive, devastating blow to the community … a lot of these items were given as gifts in memory of parishioners who were part of this community in the past,” Schoeck said.

Most are inscribed with religious lettering or symbols. The damages are estimated at more than $3,000, and Schoeck estimated the items are worth more than $10,000.

Schoeck has called pawn shops and silver buyers across the city and asked them to keep an eye out for the items.

“There really is no resale market for most of the stuff,” Schoeck said. “No one’s going to buy something that obviously belongs to a church.”

The church has been using ceramic pieces since the break-in. It has received an outpouring of support from other congregations and has been offered replacement items to keep or borrow.

Schoeck said he doesn’t fault the thieves for taking the items and says the burglary is a symptom of a larger issue in the city.

“People are suffering in various ways, and when we experience these levels of suffering, we’re pushed to act in ways that we wouldn’t normally act,” he said. “I think it’s just a reminder when we experience something like this, that there’s still work to be done out in the community, so that people don’t get pushed to these kind of desperate levels.”

The church will also be further securing its premises to prevent future thefts.

Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the stolen items and identifying the burglar or burglars. They asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the major crimes unit at 204-986-6219, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or online.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca