Thieves made away with valuable items, including jewellery, which adorned the Our Lady of Graces statue at the Zabbar parish church.

The theft occurred on Saturday night, and the police were informed about the incident at 6.50am, soon after the church was opened for Sunday Masses.

The parish priest notified the police after noticing that the church’s tabernacle had been forced open. Items stolen included most of the jewellery which decorated the statue, as well as some money which was in a collection box underneath another statue.

The police did not say what the haul amounted to, and neither did they say what the value of the stolen jewellery was. But, apart from the monetary worth of the items that went missing, Zabbar residents yesterday felt that their devotion to Our Lady of Graces had been breached too.

“The thieves entered our church and had the temerity to steal items from the statue of Our Lady. What else are we to expect?” one Zabbar resident asked in disbelief.

A laptop, used for singing and reading during masses, was also reported to have gone missing.

It is not yet clear how the thieves entered the church, although it is believed that since the church’s façade is currently undergoing restoration, the thieves used the scaffolding to make their way into the sanctuary.

Duty Magistrate Miriam Hayman has ordered an inquiry. The police are investigating.