Fr Brian D’Arcy and Paul Keenan with the new security lights that are being installed at The Graan in time for the Novena of Hope RMG92
SECURITY has been stepped up at The Graan in Enniskillen in a bid to deter car thieves ahead of the start of the 27th Novena of Hope this weekend.
The move is in response to the latest spate of thefts at church carparks where vandals have been pouncing on vehicles over recent weeks when their owners are at Mass.
The recent incidents of crime at churches across Fermanagh and Tyrone have led to calls for people to be vigilant. In some cases parishes were forced to have parishoners and GAA officials patrolling their grounds during Mass as the ongoing spate of car tampering and thefts continued at Killesher, Newtownbutler and Trillick.
The Graan was also targeted a number of times in late 2014 when thieves broke into cars and got away with several handbags.
The new LED security lights have been installed in the Graan as the Novena of Hope begins on Saturday at 6.30pm Mass and will continue each day until Monday March 7.
The Superior of the Graan, Fr Brian D’Arcy told the Herald: “We will have a lot of people coming and going here over the coming week for the Novena and so we felt that we had to take this step and install the new lights for security reasons.”
Fr Brian added:
“It’s disappointing but what can you do, you just have to take all the precautions which is what we’re doing.
We want people to feel that they can come here for our services safe in the knowledge that their property will be secure. People have become easy targets when they are at Mass – it’s nothing new and has been happening for years.
“Unforunately it is a sign of the times. It’s a tiny minority that are doing it and it’s our job to make it as difficult as possible for them.”
Fr Brian has again warned Mass-goers against leaving anything inside their vehicles.
“Please do not leave any valuables in your cars during any services here at The Graan. Be especially vigilant not to leave handbags, keys or phones visible,” he added.
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