Catholics replace stolen money

"Parishioners have come together in an amazing response to this unfortunate occurrence," said Rev. Dominic Isopo, pastor of St. Luke's parish in Schenectady, referring to a recent theft at the rectory.

The theft involved pledges for the annual Bishop's Appeal.

"We estimate that there were pledges for approximately $2,000 to $3,700," the priest said. "It was mostly checks, though. Very little cash was in the bag."

Telltale click

Father Isopo was in the church, speaking to parishioners about ministry, when he noticed a man in the back.

"I was about to invite him to come in and sit down," he said, but the man left. A short while later, the pastor heard the distinctive click of the rectory door closing.

Knowing "immediately that someone had been in the rectory," Father Isopo headed for there and saw the man coming out. Their eyes locked, and the man ran off.

Small haul

A parishioner who was in her car in the parking lot saw the intruder leave and get into a car. Doreen Wright, coordinator of faith formation, said the parishioner gave a good description of the man and his vehicle to the Schenectady police.

Checking the rectory, Father Isopo discovered that the pledge bag had been stolen, and that his room and the parish office had been ransacked.

"I guess he was looking for valuables that he could quickly grab," he said. "He didn't get away with too much; there was only about $50 in cash in the bag."

Replacements

One of the first to respond with replacement money was Angela Cappellani, 7, who presented the pastor with some money to put towards the Bishop's Appeal pledges that had been stolen.

"She told me she couldn't believe that anyone would take money away from God," he said. "She had gone into her own piggy bank and brought us all she had.

"This is representative of the response we've had since the incident. There has been such a positive reaction from our parishioners. People have come forward with donations to make up for the loss. In some cases, the money has come from people in the community that aren't even from our parish, people I don't even know. It has been overwhelming."

(6/14/07)