Burglars hit St Catherine’s Spiritual Baptist Church

Laura Garraway, Baptist Mother at the St Catherine’s Spiritual Baptist Church, is pleading with the person/persons who broke into the church to return the two church bells that they stole.

“The bells are very important to us. We can’t have church if we don’t have {{more}}our bells. Please bring back the bells if you can, we don’t mind the money,” said Mother Garraway on Tuesday from her home in Edinboro.

The church, which is located at the back of private premises in the Kingstown Park area, was broken into last Friday, February 20, at around 6 p.m.

The culprit is said to have made off with two church bells valued at around EC$500, EC$400 of the church’s money and a number of anointing oils.

Mother Garraway said that the bells are used to sanctify the church and during certain church rituals.

“I feel really bad. I never heard about people breaking into churches. This is really ridiculous. I know they break houses but not churches,” said the church’s leader.

She said that she is of the opinion that the deed may have been committed by a drug addict.

“We really want back the bells. We do many things with the bells. Please bring back the bells and God will bless you if you bring back the bells. We don’t mind the money,” stressed the Spiritual Baptist woman, who revealed that about 24 persons worship at the church.

She said that the bells have to be imported from Trinidad or somewhere else and that may take some time and that may hinder church activities, as the bells are needed for church services on Fridays and Saturdays.

The St Catherine’s Spiritual Baptist Church has been around for over 20 years and Mother Garraway says that this is the first time that a break-in has occurred.

There are also reports that a few days ago, someone made off with a cross from the altar of the St George’s Cathedral in Kingstown, while on January 3, the janitor at the Church of the Ascension at Sion Hill, which is the daughter church of the St George’s Cathedral, turned up to work and discovered the church’s altar on fire.