A CHURCH of Ireland congregation in Co Monaghan has been forced to move its services into a community hall after 900 litres of heating oil was stolen over Christmas from its place of worship.
Gardaí believe the church may have been targeted by a gang which is stealing fuel from premises that are unoccupied during the night.
The ordeal for the congregation at Killeevan, not far from Clones, began on Christmas Eve when it was noticed that thieves had siphoned off the oil from a storage tank in a shed adjacent to the church. The fuel had been paid for by donations at the church’s Sunday service.
That was not the end of the matter, however, and it was later discovered that the interior of the church, without heating, had suffered considerable damage through frost.
A number of radiators had also burst, leaving the building unusable.
Church treasurer Douglas Maguire said he was “appalled” at the loss of the oil and the damage to the small church.
The Rev Helene Steed, who ministers to the church, also condemned the theft.
“The situation is terribly sad and unfair to the parishioners,” she said. “It is only a small parish and there isn’t a lot of money, so to have the heating oil stolen is just awful.”
The theft at Killeevan church is the latest in a number of thefts of heating oil from premises in Co Monaghan in the past month.
An organised gang, or gangs, driving around in vans that are equipped for the task with hidden tanks in the rear, are believed to be targeting buildings such as churches, community centres, factories, quarries and commercial premises.
Investigating gardaí in Clones have appealed to the public to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activity at isolated premises during the night.
A Garda representative said: “Heating oil thefts are occurring all over the country and people are advised to monitor how much oil is in their tanks and install some sort of lock to keep the contents safe.”