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Your LOCAL Media since 1918! Volume 105 Issue 22
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Wednesday, February 1, 2023 s
Holden church bell stolen
$5,000 reward offered, neighbour saddened by police response
BY JANA SEMENIUK St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, which sits on open land south of Holden, was the scene of a senseless crime in the early morning hours of Jan. 22 when at least two criminals used straps and a truck to yank the church’s heavy metal bell right through the wall of its 98-year-old wooden bell tower. One nearby landowner, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was alerted to the theft by a neighbour later that day. “The neighbour called Sunday (because) he seen tracks (like from) something dragging and then he looked, and he sees all kinds of wood (pieces) from the bell tower. So, he phoned me right away and I got the surveillance camera (footage) and had a look,” the landowner said. A nearby community hall, with a security camera installed on the building, captured the theft affording screen shots of the criminals’ vehicles. As per the surveillance footage, at 2:27 a.m., two vehicles drove into the church yard: a white van or SUV and an older model blue truck with a white canopy on the back. At least two individuals, equipped with power tools and flashlights, broke into the church’s bell tower and cut the hardware holding the bell. They strapped the bell through the broken door of the building to the back of the truck before it was pulled right
The landthrough the side of owner, who is a the building. The member of the St. bell tower can be Mary’s Church, seen rocking off of said services are its foundation at held in the church 2:51 a.m. before once a month bethe bell was finally cause the priest, pulled right known as Father through the side of Mark, travels to the building, leavdifferent parishes ing the tower siteach week to hold ting on the services. They foundation. (landowner) estiThe bell itself is mated the bell to seen being be just over two dragged behind feet in width and the truck at 2:52 weighing between a.m. Jan. 22 as the 500 and 1,000 perpetrators drove pounds. out of the church According to a yard, sparks flying 100th anniversary on the gravel road. The landowner The wooden 98-year-old bell tower shown booklet, the South said this is not the destroyed after its bell was pulled through Holden Presentathe side of the building by at least two tion of the Blessed first time the bell criminals in a brazen theft Jan. 22. Virgin Mary tower has been Ukrainian Catholic Church (aka St. targeted. “Last year one of his (criminals’) Mary’s) was built in 1916 and the straps was left hanging from the bell wooden bell tower built in 1925. The (after) they tried jerking it out and they bell for the tower was donated by a couldn't. (They) just left the strap hang- local Holden merchant, identified as ing there (and) you can see where the Mr. Black. Although it does not specify door was broken,” said the landowner. what the bell was made of, according to “Now they came back, and they the Canadian Encyclopedia most knew exactly what they were going for. church bells from that era were made of bronze, an alloy of copper, and tin. They went straight for the bell.”
Meanwhile, the landowner said that although the Tofield police were called immediately and responded with two officers that day, there was no evidence or pictures taken and they never took a copy of the surveillance video. The landowner added that a side window from one of the suspects’ vehicles, fell out during the robbery and is still sitting at the scene. “The window of the canopy (from the suspect’s truck) that was there is (still) sitting there in the snow. They never picked it up, never looked at it or nothing,” said the landowner. “I told them I have a video (and) that I have pictures of the vehicles. I told them to stop by and I'd get a USB stick, or they could borrow one and we could take it off. They haven't showed up yet (five days later).” The landowner said they are less concerned with the criminals being arrested and just want the bell returned. “I can see the cops with the judicial system, it is so screwed up. They're (criminals are) gonna get out on a technicality. What I want is the bell back. By now, (with) pictures of the vehicles by now they would have (had) it. We could have gotten it back, we could have rebuilt it, whatever.” A reward of $5,000 has been donated for the safe return of the church bell. The responding officer could not be reached for comment by press time.
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