The thieves left with the proceeds of the quests.
An Alsatian village priest was robbed on Christmas night while celebrating midnight mass.
“I assume the burglars knew I was at the church.
Mass times are posted,” explained Father Alain Riegert, parish priest of Ammerschwihr, near Colmar in the Haut-Rhin.
The priest had celebrated a first Christmas mass at 6 p.m. in his village of 1,700 inhabitants and was returning from midnight mass in a nearby town when he discovered the door of his presbytery smashed in, as reported by the local daily
L' Alsatian
.
The burglary “was carefully prepared”
“It's completely traumatic.
Discovering this as we return to a celebratory disposition, with people delighted with Mass,” testified the 59-year-old priest.
The thieves left with the proceeds of the last collections, but Father Riegert claimed he had no time to count the sums received.
“These are big Christmas quests,” he remarks simply.
The burglary “was carefully prepared”.
The gendarmes, who have opened an investigation, “have no leads yet,” said Father Riegert.
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