Holy Trinity to beef up security following robbery

This was reported in an online statement by Fr Dexter Brereton CSSp (Congregation of the Holy Ghost Fathers, Spiritans), moderator of the Arouca/Maloney Cluster.

Last Sunday, November 27, at the 6 pm service at Holy Trinity which was led by Eucharistic Minister Lloyd Theodore, a man grabbed the collection plate which was being carried to the offertory and escaped with it. A number of parishioners had challenged the man but he pulled out what appeared to be a gun.

Brereton in his statement urged parishioners to remember that most people in the wider Arouca community were decent and law-abiding and meant them no harm.

“I fully understand that a number of you who may have attended this service would have found this turn of events very disturbing and about this I am very deeply sorry,” he said.

He reported that the parish will be seeking “expert help and advice” to improve implementation of increased security measures using technology and “internal arrangements” will also be improved.

The statement had also said changes may have to be made to arrangements at Arouca and people may be asked to fill new roles. Parishioners were asked to keep the parish in their prayers and Brereton offered assistance to anyone experiencing lingering anxiety over the incident.

In an interview with Catholic News, Brereton reported that the robber was a stranger who had attended a Mass the week prior to the robbery.

“When you have these crimes we can’t allow them to make us sour. The final and deepest freedom we have is the freedom to refuse to be shaped by the evil that befalls us,” he said.

Brereton said the incident could be “a moment of grace” for the community and the church and added that it was important for Catholics not to live in a “bubble”.

“We live in a difficult age. The Kingdom of God comes through striving and struggles; with criminality and darkness around us...

we have to strive for what we believe in,” he urged.

Brereton thanked WPC Mohammed and her team for their “assiduous work following up on the report”.

Also in the article parishioner Paul Chow, whose sons were assisting with the collection when the robbery occurred, said Catholics need to be more alert and vigilant though they could not prevent crime from happening. He described the incident as a “wake up for the church to do what we are supposed to be doing - praying, getting together as community”.

Chow had also said he was touched with how the parish community had pulled together.

Chow said his family would pray for the perpetrator and continue to reach out and try to help others. He also said that despite the incident he would continue to serve and take his family to church.