Church bell mysteriously stolen from historic Pueblo church

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- For over 20 years, the ringing of church bells at Archangel Michael Orthodox Church has echoed through Pueblo multiple times a week.

“I hear them every Sunday, on Saturdays and Wednesdays,” said Karl Lambert, a neighbor who lives across from the church.

For now, they ring a bit quieter.

On the morning of Saturday, August 8, the Rev. Zechariah Lynch, the priest at Archangel Michael Orthodox Church, discovered a large hole cut in the fence.

“I made sure that the property was OK, checked all the doors, the windows. I was assuming that maybe they were trying to gain access into the building,” Lynch said.

That's when he realized the second-largest of their five church bells was gone. 

“If you steal from a church, you’ll steal from anybody," Lynch said.

Archangel Michael Orthodox Church has been in Pueblo since 1903. These particular bells were crafted in Russia to celebrate the church’s 100th anniversary in 2003.

“It’s sad that someone, whatever their desire is, would take a church bell for whatever ends. And not just deprive our own church community but also the local community of Pueblo of the joy of hearing the bells,” Lynch said.

The bells are considered sacred for Orthodox Christians. They symbolize a call to prayer and worship when rung at the beginning of church services.

“Stealing is bad enough, but I think stealing from sacred spots anywhere, anything that someone would consider sacred is very sad, so I hope they find peace in their souls and their hearts," Lynch said.

Lynch told KRDO13 it appeared they had also attempted to take one of the smaller bells but ended up leaving it behind.

The Pueblo Police Department (PPD) received a report regarding the incident. Archangel Michael Orthodox Church is asking anyone with information to come forward.

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