Bingo robber in Braddock Hills gets away from priest
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Rev. Tom Burke, who chased after the thief
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When the Rev. Tom Burke heard that the bingo table at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Braddock Hills had been robbed Tuesday night, his first instinct was to catch the thief.
Clad in flowing clerical robes and dress shoes, Father Burke sprinted through the church parking lot and hopped into the idling car of parishioner Dahrin Cook, who was dropping off his wife to volunteer at the night's game.
They drove after the masked young man, who flashed a gun and stole approximately $300 from the bingo registration table, and chased him until he escaped into the woods behind a nearby housing development.
"It was just like cops and robbers," Father Burke said with a laugh.
No one at the church can remember such an incident in 12 years of weekly bingo games, which serve as a fundraiser for the Good Shepherd Parish School.
The Braddock Hills Police Department took a suspect in for questioning Tuesday night, Father Burke said, but they released the person after witnesses were unable to identify him. Because the burglary took place in the hallway outside the bingo hall, only a few volunteers who were working at the registration table saw the robber.
Father Burke said he doesn't expect the police to find the man. "He's long gone," he said.
Sister Marita Charley, director of development for Good Shepherd Parish in Braddock, said the parish has already received a $300 donation from Braddock Mayor John Fetterman. She expects other parishioners and community members may make similar gifts to help the church recoup its loss.
Many parishioners have contacted the church to offer their prayers, Father Burke said, and many have told him they are praying for the burglar.
"We teach forgiveness," Father Burke said. "There's no hard feelings. But it's sad that somebody would want to steal from the church and steal from the school."
The church may add a security guard to help protect its players, but other than that, weekly bingo will continue. Despite the robbery, the games went on Tuesday night.
"We went back up to bingo hall and honestly, everyone was startled," Father Burke said. "I got on the microphone and said, 'We've been robbed, but we're all OK, and no one was hurt. Let's just carry on with bingo.' "
At that, he said, the parishioners clapped.
First Published July 21, 2011 12:00 am
