Officers arrested the man, identified as Lorenzo Muniz, 35, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Muniz confessed to police that he had robbed a number of churches repeatedly since late January.
The archdiocese said that, although it had been informed of “serial robberies” of poor boxes at nearby Bucks County parishes, it had not received reports from St. Katharine’s.
The archdiocese is telling anyone in need during the pandemic to contact them for assistance, rather than resort to thievery.
“Theft in any form is reprehensible, but especially when the poor suffer from it,” Gavin said.
“The Archdiocese of Philadelphia operates a broad variety of programs aimed at assisting those in need,” Gavin said. “Temporal hardships have increased dramatically as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We are here to serve all those in need to the best of our ability.”
“If individuals have fallen on hard times, they needn’t be driven to thievery,” he said. “They need only ask for assistance.”
(Story cotinues below)
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Muniz is being charged with several crimes, including institutional vandalism of a place of worship, theft by unlawful taking, criminal mischief, possession of an instrument of crime, and drug violations. He is being charged in two separate jurisdictions where he committed thefts.
In June, 2020, two men were arrested for a series of burglaries at churches in the Philadelphia area.
Another Catholic Church was targeted for theft last year in Boone, North Carolina. According to WXII 12 news, the local police department arrested a 54 year-old man on Feb. 12 for breaking and entering St. Elizabeth of the Hill County parish back in June, and stealing the tabernacle.
