Howard Beach residents shocked at church robberies

Among Howard Beach residents, shock was the most common reaction to the recent robberies of two local churches.
Our Lady of Grace (OLG), at 100-05 101st Street, and St. Helen’s, at 157-10 83rd Street, were broken into earlier this month, with robbers making off with money from the churches’ poor boxes. In addition, money from one of OLG’s prayer stations, where parishioners deposited coins and lit candles, was also stolen.
For OLG, the incident is not a first. Officials from the 106th Precinct said it has been robbed in the past. The latest occurrence, however, may be the most distressing, as the church has decided to close its doors during the day.
“OLG was one of the few churches that kept its doors open during the day, for people that wanted to go in and pray,” said Tom Rowland, a parishioner at the church and a board member at OLG School. “That can’t be the case anymore.”That loss, said Rowland, is far more painful than the money.
“Money can always be replaced,” he said, “but having to lock the church - it’s a shame.”
Police have offered only minimal information, said Frank Dardani, a member of the 106th Precinct Council.
“Usually when robberies occur, the offenders repeat - they go back,” Dardani explained. “So everybody is being very careful. [The precinct] wants to cover all its bases and make sure it’s not giving out too much information.”
Officials, however, did say that the robberies were most likely committed by the same person.
Some Howard Beach residents are surprised that the burglary took place in their town.
“This area is usually open and secure,” said Angelo Gurino, a parishioner at St. Helen’s.
“You’ve got so many things around here, and there’s always people around those two churches,” said Giovanni Grazioso, whose daughter attends St. Helen’s School. “I’m surprised someone would do that in broad daylight.”
Howard Beach resident Tony Vee added that the area is typically “family-oriented.” He said he was surprised that a robbery would occur in a place so “conducive to raising a family.”
“Things like this don’t just happen here, they happen everywhere,” said Eugene, an employee at La Nora Ristorante on Cross Bay Boulevard. “Society is changing. Even churches aren’t immune to this sort of thing.”
Vee said he questioned his safety in light of the robberies.
“If someone really is that desperate, if they see a door open, they’ll go in,” said Vee. “So you have to use a little common sense. From now on, lock your doors.”
With additional reporting by Tonia N. Cimino