A note on the building’s front door says it must remain closed “due to some intentional damage done in the church”.
A notice on the door at St Peter’s Anglican Church in Wellington. Photo / St Peter’s on Willis
A photo shared by the church shows the fixture toppled forward from its stand, with the eagle-shaped top section knocked over but still attached to the base.
A livestream from Sunday morning’s service, celebrating the day of resurrection, shows the lectern covered with a black sheet.
Addressing parishioners, co-vicar Reverend Jean Malcolm said the damage was discovered when church members arrived to prepare for their Easter vigil service the night before.
Easter service at St Peter’s Anglican Church. Photo / St Peter’s on Willis
“When we arrived last night to set up for our vigil service, shockingly, we discovered that someone had been in in the afternoon and tried to take our brass eagle lectern and it was in a very broken state,” she said.
“It’s horrible that people have not honoured our space in the way that we expect it to be honoured and yet even they are welcome here.”
Eagle lecterns are a traditional fixture in Anglican churches, symbolising the spreading of the Gospel.
This brass eagle lectern was stolen from St David’s Anglican Church in Raincliff. Photo / Canterbury Police
Last month, a large brass eagle lectern was stolen from St David’s Church in Raincliff in Mackenzie.
Police said the lectern was stolen from the Heritage New Zealand listed chapel on Middle Valley Rd sometime between February 19 and March 4.
Anglican Bishop of Christchurch, Right Reverend Peter Carrell told 1News yesterday the church was “happy to forgive the thief”.
“But with our forgiveness comes an earnest plea. Give us back our taonga.”
St Peter’s Anglican Church in central Wellington. Photo / St Peter’s on Willis
St Peter’s on Willis has previously been targeted by theft.
In 2016, embroidered vestments, thought to be more than 100 years old, were stolen from a display cabinet inside the church.
St Peter’s church has been approached for comment.