Man arrested after church collections stolen at end of Mass

Stephen Maguire

Gardaí have charged a suspect after a church collection was stolen just moments after it was collected from Mass-goers in Co Donegal.

The brazen robbery took place in the sacristy of St Eunan's Cathedral in Letterkenny following the Mass on Sunday.

The undisclosed sum of money had been donated by parishioners during the two collections at the midday Mass.

The money was put together and stored in the sacristy of the church before it was to be counted and lodged in the bank.

However, a cheeky thief managed to get his way into the sacristy while the end of a funeral was also taking place during the Mass.

Locals spotted the thief in nearby Market Square and reported the incident to gardaí.

Local churchgoers were shocked by the robbery.

One local man who had been at the mass said "It's a busy mass, but I'm not sure how much was collected.

"As well as cash on the offertory plates, many people put cash into church envelopes on a weekly basis.

"It's just shocking to think that not even the sacristy of a church is a safe place anymore.

"I do appreciate people struggling, but this is pretty low by any standard."

A spokesperson from the Garda Press Office confirmed a man in his 40s had been arrested following the incident in Letterkenny.

The spokesperson said: "Gardaí are investigating a theft that occurred at a premises in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, at approximately 1pm on Sunday, April 14th, 2024.

"Following Garda enquiries, a man in his 40s was arrested as part of this investigation and detained at a Garda Station in County Donegal."