WATERBURY -- Police and members of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Waterbury are hoping those in the know chime in about a bell that was stolen from the church.
The demolition of this church has attracted thieves, including ones who would have to be pretty strong to pull off the theft of one of three bronze belts that were being stored.
The demolition of Waterbury’s St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, on N. Main St., which was deemed a structurally unsafe a couple of years ago, has been a slow, but steady, process.
“We started in March with the removal of the religious items, the icons, the murals, stain-glass and chandeliers,” said Albert Well, the owner of Al Well services, LLC, Who is the project manager for this demolition.
he said once the project started coming outside the church, valuable items, like aluminum, were being stolen. And, shortly after that, is when the bells, which were part of the original church in downtown Waterbury, were taken out of the current church, which was built in 1974.
The bells, which date back to 1911, were stored in a large box container, which was broken into on or about June 27th or 28th.
“They came looking for opportunity and probably very surprised when they opened the door and saw bronze bells and decided that was their item,” said Well.
The lightest of the three bells, weighing approximately 300 pounds, was the one stolen.
“The sad part is, with the prices today, in scrap, it’s not all that much,” Well said.
He estimates the bronze bell could fetch up to $500, but, obviously, it’s worth much more to this congregation, which still holds its services in another building on the property.
“It’s out there,” Well said. “Somebody has seen it. Or, if it has shown up at a pawn shop or at a scrap yard, and they turned them away, give a phone call to the police and tell them when it was their.”
And, Well says, if you’ve got the bell, just leave it on the front lawn.