Anna Healey is a lifelong member of the church located in Philadelphia's Fishtown section. Now its neighbor, she keeps a faithful watch over the often-empty building, which is why last Monday she knew something was terribly wrong.
"About 1:30 I took my puppy for a walk, and as I came past here, the dog [saw] the gate open." Once inside, it was far worse than she feared. Sometime last Sunday night, Healey believes, thieves broke-in in search of a single target, copper.
"The torchiere lamp upstairs. The brass railing around the choir loft, and all the copper tubing," explained church treasurer Marie Difrancesco.
The bathroom fixtures are gone, pipes for heat and water broken off and countless irreplaceable copper pieces methodically, if not carelessly, ripped off the altar.
But, beyond feeling violated, the congregation of the historic church is now deeply worried about its future. Just 10 to 12 people gather here on any given Sunday. It is they who have kept the doors open for so long. Now it is they who will have to find a way to keep the church from closing.
"This to us is devastating because it's not only that they desecrated our church. It's the cost of everything that's going to have be repaired."
A cost estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars, if not much more. Now, for the first time in 205 years, the faithful are forced to worship elsewhere praying, and wondering when, or if, they'll be able to return.
Parishioners are awaiting word from insurance adjusters about the extent of the damage, and the costs for repair. Incredibly, those we spoke with say despite it all, they are thankful for what was not taken and for the chance they can rebuild again.