A priest says he has been left feeling ‘sickened’ after a Blackburn church was targeted during a burglary.
A small amount of money was taken from St Joseph’s Church in Audley and the person(s) responsible caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the place of worship.
The main church area was not damaged, although the church door was damaged, but the burglar(s) caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the presbytery - housing that a church organisation provides for a minister or priest to live in - and sacristy, a room in a church where a priest prepares for service.
A small amount of money was taken, as well as food and drink items, but the parish priest Father Gerard Barry said it would cost several thousand pounds to repair damages.
He “hopes” the figure will be less than £5,000.
He said: “The amount of money they took, which couldn’t have been a lot, is nothing compared to the damage. Repairs and replacements are going to cost a fortune.
“I can’t describe how bad it was. I have been burgled many times but I have never seen such sheer, mindless vandalism.”
Shocking pictures and videos show the ransacked site, with items strewn across the floor.
Six doors have been smashed beyond repair.
The back of a safe in the sacristy has been ripped open, with rubble from the destruction left on the floor.
Mr Barry said the incident has made him “feel sick”, adding that the person(s) must have “spent hours” ransacking the site, as no one was living there at the time.
He said: “The person(s) responsible have spent hours causing as much damage as possible and it’s a bit bizarre.
“They ripped open any envelopes and records they could find. They have damaged so much paperwork.
“Drawers were pulled out in the office and thrown around. Any items on the shelves were thrown to the ground.
“We have record books which are a century old and they have been damaged for no reason. I just don’t understand what purpose it served at all.
“In one of the rooms you couldn’t see the floor because they had made such a mess. It was so bad you couldn’t move around the room easily.
“It seemed like they were just after money as they didn’t take the television or anything like that.”
While they did not take alcohol from the bar, cans of Coke, chocolate, and a pack of mince were taken.
Mr Barry said: “There were bottles of beer in the bar area but they didn’t take any of that. They took cans of cans of Coke and chocolate eggs that were intended for kids.
“They even took mince from the freezer and coffee, which was weird.”
Mr Barry says he “despairs” for the person(s) responsible, for thinking it is acceptable to target a church.
He said: “I don’t allow myself to get wound up as I have seen and dealt with many horrible things in my life.
"This situation does make me despair for some people. They made such a mess for no purpose.
“It worries me to see how much damage someone can cause to a property. It took a lot to rip open the back of the safe.
“I don’t harbour any hatred, I just feel desperate for people who think this way of life is okay and that there is nothing wrong with targeting [religious] places like this.”
Mr Barry has thanked the community for their kind words and help and is urging anyone with information to come forward.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up on behalf of the church. Funds will go towards repair costs.
Mr Barry said: “I am so grateful for the police and CSI team. Many words of kindness have come our way, which has been marvellous.
“I am so grateful for the offers of help. Many people have been concerned and worried about it. If anyone knows anything can they let the police know?"
Officers are appealing for information from anyone who may have witnessed the incident or seen any suspicious activity.
A police spokesperson said: "The church has been subjected to serious damages/losses which we understand may have an impact on the wider communities.
"We would urge anyone with information that may be useful to us to come forward and help with this investigation.
"Our enquiries are still ongoing to try and identify an offender."
Anyone with information that could assist officers should call 101 quoting log number LC-20240425-0255.
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