Clonard Monastery Belfast targeted by masked burglars in 'distressing' incident
"It is deeply saddening that anyone would do this to a place that means so much to so many"
A West Belfast monastery was targeted by masked burglars in the early hours of Monday morning with two laptops and a mobile phone stolen.
Clonard Monastery was broken into sometime between 00:55 and 01:45 on Monday morning, October 6. The incident happened as the 13 Redemptorist priests living in the monastery, nine of whom are in their 80s, slept close by.
Fr Brendan Kelly told BBC News NI that CCTV footage appears to show two people wearing masks and gloves entering the residential part of the monastery.
In a statement on social media, a spokesperson for Clonard Monastery said the incident was "distressing" and "deeply saddening."
They asked for residents nearby to get in touch if they noticed anything suspicious at the time of the incident.
They said: "Unfortunately, last night Clonard Monastery was broken into. A number of items were stolen, and the matter has been reported to the police, who are currently investigating.
"We would ask any of our neighbours in the Clonard area — if you have any doorbell footage, CCTV, vehicle cameras, or if you noticed anything suspicious in the early hours of this morning — to please contact the Monastery Reception. We will ensure that any information is passed on directly to the police.
"This has been a very distressing experience for the Redemptorist Community and staff at Clonard. It is deeply saddening that anyone would do this to a place that means so much to so many. All information shared will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and respect."
Police said the incident was reported to them at around 6.05am on Monday. In a statement, a PSNI spokesperson said: "A number of electronic items and some keys were taken and it is understood that the burglary took place some time between 00:55 and 01:45.
"We are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area or anyone who might have CCTV, dash-cam or other footage that could assist with our enquiries, to contact detectives."
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