On Holy Week, Thief Stole Church Pipes

VILLAS – St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 13 W. Bates Ave. was the target of a copper thief who never learned – or heeded ¬– the Ten Commandments, specifically, No. 8: “You shall not steal.”
Sometime between 9 p.m. on March 27 and 10 a.m. March 28, that person(s) broke into the church’s crawl space, turned off the water, and cut away and stole between 70 and 80 feet of copper pipe and fixtures valued at over $1,000.
Bad enough any time, but that theft took place on Holy Week.
Rev. Lisa A. Hoffman, vicar, and the small, faithful congregation were preparing for Easter Sunday.
In preparation for that feast day, one of the most solemn ceremonies, washing of the feet, was to take place on March 28, Maundy Thursday. That is the day when Christians mark institution of Holy Communion by Jesus Christ before his death on Good Friday, and when he washed his disciples’ feet.
According to Leslie Flick, church treasurer and vestry member, the thief might well have dipped into the offering plate and taken $500, since that is the deductible mandated by the insurance company. That sum is considerable, she said, since attendance is low and giving is constrained.
“We had no water for Maundy Thursday. I had to bring two gallons of water from home, and all we could do was wash the feet of two little girls,” Flick said.
Flick said a 10-year-old girl, who looks forward to the Maundy Thursday ceremony was in tears when she heard there was no water, and thought the ceremony would be curtailed. It took place with several gallons of water brought from elsewhere.
The copper theft was discovered when a parish member dropped off the mail to the church office March 28, went into the bathroom, and flushed the toilet. No water did what it would normally do.
The first call made was to the Lower Township Municipal Utilities Authority, to check whether it had for some reason, turned off the service. When the answer was “no,” collective thoughts turned downward to the dark crawl space where the pipes are located.
The next call was to the church’s plumber Bill Weidman. On his arrival, he found all pipes missing, to the bathrooms, kitchen and other service areas. Flick said he spent the rest of the day reinstalling the pipes.
Lower Township Police were alerted, said Flick.
According to Lower Township Police Detective Don Vanaman, the investigation continues. There were no immediate leads, although Patrol Officer Anzelone followed up knocking on neighbors’ doors asking if they had seen or heard anything unusual. None of them heard anything, including the residents immediately behind the church.
Hoffman, whose residence is across Rutgers Avenue and the parking lot from the church, said her dog did not bark, nor did one of a neighbor behind the church.
“There has not been a rash of thefts,” said Vanaman. The price of, not only, copper, but also brass and aluminum has risen, thus criminals seeking quick money steal whatever is readily accessible, and apparently even some that is not.
“In the spring we get heavy with reporting,” he added. That is because second-home owners, who have been absent through the winter, return, and find their metal gone.
Most of those types of thefts have scant chance of being solved, Vanaman said. However, in the St. Barnabas case, “This is a much tighter window.”
As the investigation continues, the church continues to serve the poor and needy in the community.
Even without water, on Maundy Thursday, the church provided a free meal for the hungry, as it does the last Thursday or each month, according to Flick.
“We served the meal to everyone who came on, but thank goodness for paper plates and cups and plastic utensils,” she added. Flick said she lugged home the pots and pans used for the meal to wash them.
“This is the first time we have had a theft from the church,” Flick said. “We never had a theft or break-ins.”
“We want the people in the neighborhood to be aware of what’s going on,” Flick said.
The church, “just down the street from Gaiss’ Market,” according to the church website proclaims, “Where ALL are welcome.” The church began as a mission in 1954, as an outgrowth from St. Simeon’s Episcopal Church, North Wildwood. Since its founding, the church’s vicars have served the Lower and Middle township areas.
That local aid continues, not only with the monthly free meals for those in need, but also with its food pantry. That pantry receives donations to assist the growing needs of the community.
Hoffman and Flick were puzzled as to the motive for the theft, especially since the church’s mission is directly related to helping the needy in the community with its food pantry and the monthly free meal.
Also impacted on Good Friday was the usual visit by participants in an Easter Seal Society endeavor that uses the church’s facilities.
Additionally, the church hosts three Narcotics Anonymous meetings monthly.
“We are doing a lot of helping for people who are not as lucky as us,” said Flick.