PHOTOS: Sergio Betancort.
The Playa Honda chapel suffered a robbery in the early hours of this Sunday. "They even took the tabernacle with the consecrated hosts," laments one of the catechists, who explained that this is already "the third time" that something similar has happened to them.
"They took the entire tabernacle, caused damage, broke a door, a table with things we use for catechism...", she says. According to her, the assailant or assailants were "cutting" the door with "a knife or something, until they pried the door open and entered." Once inside, they couldn't get anything of much value, since according to this catechist, nothing especially expensive is kept in the parish.
"Valuable things are not stolen, but the tools that we always use" for catechism, she adds. "Luckily the images, the little we have, have not been broken," she continues. It was on Sunday morning when they discovered that someone had entered the church, presumably "in the early morning." The catechists and the parish priest of the temple reported what happened to the Civil Guard, who took fingerprints and explained that they would be attentive "in case they tried to sell the tabernacle." "They will think it is made of silver, but not even that... it is worked sheet metal," adds the catechist.
"It's the third time"
This is not the first time that the catechists have encountered an unpleasant surprise when going to church. They say that it is already "the third time" that the parish of Santa Elena has suffered robberies or damage.
"The other times they also caused damage, they had taken things. We have a television and a DVD, luckily we always keep it at home because, if we leave it there, they steal everything," says this catechism teacher.
According to her, the thieves have been finding different methods to enter the temple. "A gate was placed in a small window that we had on one side because they also threw stones at us through there and entered through there, but when the gate was put in, they didn't enter anymore. Now it's through the door," she explains.
This catechist adds that the Playa Honda park "is a dark area", which "is not well lit". Although there is not much visibility at night, "the noises can be heard", but the problem, she maintains, is that when that happens "people don't call" the Police.
