CHURCH RAIDED AND MANY ARTICLES STOLEN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17711, 4 December 1925, Page 6

CHURCH RAIDED AND MANY ARTICLES STOLEN

CHILDREN’S ALTAR PULLED DOWN. Manston Church, Leeds, was raided by unknown persons on the night of Thursday, October 15. and a number of articles connected with High Church ritual were removed, says the “ Daily Mail.” The children’s altar was pulled down and taken away, and other articles missing are: Four children's banners, Sanctuary lamp, A cross, Tabernacle with crucifix, Pastoral candlestick. Large cruiflx, Three kneeling: stools, Pair of candlesticks, A cope. Virgin Mary and Child picture. Everything was in order when the church was locked up at 9.30 on Thursday night, but when Mr Burn, the vicar’s warden, called yesterday morning, he found that the place had been raided. The church door is undamaged. The church has been the scene of many quarrels between the High and Low Church Parties. llow the rail was carried cut was described to a “ Daily Mail ” reporter by Mr Ellis White, the secretary of the Church Council. He said: Every member of the Church Council was there except one, who is an invalid, but it was as individuals we. went, not as the council. We went to the church with a motor-lorry. We knew what we wanted to take anrl we had all within twenty minutes. We took the articles to furniture store-rooms in Leeds, where they are now. Tn case we were challenged, T carried a. faculty from the Bishop of Ripon, Dr Strong-, to remove some articles, also a recent letter from the bishop containing the passage: “I cannot quite make out. what has happened about the ornaments. They certainly should be removed."