98-year-old church window smashed for wafers

File photo / APN

Thieves have smashed a nearly century old window at St Mary's church in Timaru and made away with only the communion wafers, church officials say.

The damage to the 98-year-old stained glass window, which was made in London, was discovered on Sunday morning during the 8am service, The Timaru Herald reported.

St Mary's restoration trust chairman Ray Bennett said he first saw the communion vessels upset on the alter.

"We thought to start with it could have been a rat," he said.

But then during the service he noticed the broken window.

The offenders had bent back the frame of the stained glass, which meant it would be more difficult to fix.

The repair bill was expected to reach $15,000.

"I can't say what they wanted ... but they didn't find anything they wanted. They went to some effort to get in," Mr Bennett said.

The only thing taken was the communion wafers, he said.

- NZPA