Holyoke church cancels service, temporarily closes after theft

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Holyoke canceled Sunday Mass and temporarily closed the church this week after the church said a break-in led to several fundraising items being stolen.

A person or persons broke into the church’s fundraising and veterans storage rooms sometime between the end of services on Sunday, May 24, and Wednesday, May 27, according to the Daily Mail. A letter sent to the community of St. Paul Written by Pastor Joel Martinez.

Among the stolen items were food, valuables, and lottery prizes collected on the occasion of the annual church holiday Fundraiser for golf tournament,” Martinez wrote. The fundraiser aims to support the renovation of the church’s basement space and new daycare center.

“Thank God, no sacred vessels or ritual objects were taken,” Martinez added.

He wrote that as a result of the break-in, Sunday mass was canceled and the church would remain closed until the end of the week.

Church officials did not say whether services would resume on Sunday.

Martinez said the church is implementing new security measures in response to the incident. The church has changed the locks on the exterior doors and advised the public to stay away from the building until further notice.

Church officials reported the break-in to authorities and notified the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, according to Martinez.

“We are grateful for the quick response and are cooperating fully as the matter is investigated,” the letter said.

Holyoke Police Department Caller log It shows officers were contacted about “suspicious activity” at the church at around 5pm on May 20. The department did not respond to a request for a police report Thursday afternoon.

In the wake of the robbery, a Veterans Affairs Luncheon was held in the greater Holyoke area Organized a fundraising pizza party To help replace some of the stolen items. The event is scheduled for June 12 from 5-9 p.m. at the Holyoke Elks Lodge on Whitney Avenue.