When Father Madoda Khumalo was woken up by his phone ringing after 9pm on a Friday night, he sensed something was amiss.
ALSO SEE: Vandalism of God’s house
On the other end of the line was the St Matthew’s Anglican Church caretaker with bad news; the church had been broken into. Father Khumalo explained that the caretaker, who lives on the church premises, heard the alarm go off.
“He came to check and when he turned the light on, the burglars ran off. They escaped through the stained glass window they had broken to gain entry to the church,” he explained.
When an assessment was done to ascertain if anything was missing, it was found that a brass box containing oils for the sick had been opened and left untouched. Father Khumalo said that last year, the parish house was broken into and several household items stolen.
While he is gravely disappointed, Father Khumalo sends prayers to the burglars.
“The people of Estcourt are good; there are a few bad people and we must pray that God touches their hearts and justice takes its course. St Matthew’s is a well-respected church, not just in Estcourt but all over South Africa. It is often referred to as the beautiful cathedral of the north. The stained glass window that was broken is very old and it may not be easy to replace. We have reported it to our property manager,” said Father Khumalo.
SEE THIS: St Matthew’s revered as Cathedral of the North
He concluded by thanking the security company and police for their speedy response.
“Thank you to our arch deacon and the people of Estcourt. Just a reminder that we are open for prayer daily,” added Father Khumalo.
READ MORE: Vandal seeks shelter in church graveyard
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