Between the hours of 6 and 9 p.m. last Tuesday evening, Dec. 18, an unknown person or persons broke into two cash boxes at St. Kilian's Roman Catholic Church, located on Conklin Street in Farmingdale.

The two boxes that contained the donations of offerings for candles lighted by church members during the past week were pried open and police said the burglars removed an approximate $700 of assorted currency, as each box contained between $300 and $400. In addition, the church's alarm was disconnected and the burglars forced open a locked door. Police reported that there have been several incidents of this nature since September.

The Eighth Squad is investigating the incident and police request that anyone with information contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous and will not have to reveal their identity or testify in court. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for this and other crimes that have recently taken place at churches throughout Nassau County.

-M. Kane