29 January 2022
Vimbayi Mahachi
The Catholic Church has announced the closure of St. Andrew’s Parish located in Kingsdale in Bulawayo.
This comes after thieves broke into the Church compound and vandalised the place.
Numerous items were stolen and several were leftover strewn all over the church compound.
In an Interview with this Zim GBC News reporter Bulawayo Archbishop Alex Thomas conveyed his shock over the incident.
“I’m very much shocked and surprised at what happened at St. Andrews Parish on Sunday night. What I saw is that it was totally vandalised, the house of the priest and the church hall.”
It is sad that people of today do not respect the church at all. The upbringing of people yesteryear moulded them to have an appreciation and value of the life thus respect for many aspects of society.
Arch. Bishop Alex Thomas expressed that he highly condemns what thieves did at St. Andrews Catholic Church.
“Church is the house of God and God should be respected everyday. And church is for a Holy purpose. The first commandment and the tenth commandent says,
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, I the Lord is your God, and you need to honour God with everything possible.”
Arch. Bishop Alex Thomas went on to state that desecration of a church and destroying things of the church is a sign of moral decadence especially on the part of the thieves in question.
Desecration according to Catholic doctrine is,
“The profanation of a sacred person, place, or thing. Churches are desecrated by notorious crimes committed within them, such as willful murder or use of the sacred edifice for godless and sordid purposes. A desecrated church must first be reconciled before Divine Services can be held there.”
The sacredness of St. Andrews was thus desecrated by the acts of vandalism, a consecration service has to be conducted to return the church to normalcy.
A statement issued by the priest in charge of the parish carried the following message,
“Notice of Temporary Closure of St Andrew’s Parish Church after an Act of Desecration🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽:24.01.2022
•••Dear St Andrew’s Parish Family, it is with a painful heart that I announce the temporary closure of St Andrew’s Parish Church due to a Robbery Break in and Desecration that took place in the early hours to today January 24, 2022.”
The statement went on to describe how the robbers broke into the Parish Hall, Parish House and the Church and stole several items in all the three buildings.
Several items including Mostrances, Chalices, Mass Kit, Ciboriums containing the blessed Sacrament were stolen and the thieves broke down the tabernacle.
“Unfortunately they also broke into the parish Church and stole the Mostrances, Chalices, Mass Kit, Ciboriums containing the blessed Sacrament and broke down the tabernacle. I have since managed to pick up the blessed sacrament which they disposed in many places in the bush and by the roadside.” Continued the priest.
Consecration involves the Bishop coming to bless the place and declaring it Holy ground for worship once again.
Archbishop Thomas also bemoaned that stealing from a church is a sign of moral decadence or people have simply lost morals and values.
“Maybe those people although they were motivated by the fact of money, they were probably under the influence of alcohol, or drugs which also shows that our society is not moving in the right direction.”
The thieves got away with more than US$3 000 and R8 215 and we are investigating a case of unlawful entry and theft.
The parish priest, Bambo Louis Chileshe CMM, concluded by saying,
“Let us pray for each other, for the parish church and a complete trust in God that He will bring us back soon in His soon-to-be-consecrated-House”
Bulawayo Privincial Police spokesperson said the police were investigating a case of break in, unlawful entry and theft.
It is indeed moral decadence as the Archbishop expressed, for an individual to steal from the House of God. It seems St. Andrews Parish has become a target for thieves as there was another break in last year December.
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