CALLOUS thieves have ransacked a Thurnscoe church of all its brass and silver.
They broke in to St Hilda’s church on Hanover Street in Thurnscoe East early on Friday. Among the items stolen was an irreplaceable chalice given to the Rector of Thurnscoe, Fr Mervyn Thompson, on his ordination.
“The chalice was of great sentimental value as it was given to me symbolically when I was ordained at Sheffield and as it had been made specially for me it cannot be replaced,” said Fr Thompson,
“It’s nothing fancy, but is of great sentimental value. I’m also very sad about the destruction of church vestments which must have been used for wrapping up everything and include a stole which was ripped up.”
The thieves broke in through the back door and used an angle grinder to cut the door off the safe where the silver chalices were stored. They also stole six 2’6” tall heavy brass candlesticks from the altar.
“The candlesticks must be worth £2,500, but if they’re melted down they will have very little scrap value,” said Fr Thompson, who discovered the theft at 10.30am on Friday when he noticed that the bar had been removed from the back door and the padlock broken off.
