The congregation at St. Michael’s Korean Catholic Church is reeling after thieves made off with the bell that had been a part of the church for more than 100 years.
Congregants of the church, located at 32 Broad St. in the Oceanview neighborhood, are left wondering why this happened. Church member Anna Yoo, 44, spoke to the San Francisco Examiner, saying that some members suspected another church stole the bell: “Who else would need a bell like that?” Yoo said.
Police theorize that the thieves stole the bell, which is made of brass and weighs around 600 pounds, to melt it down and sell it for scrap. ABC7 reported that a bell four feet wide and four feet high could bring in close to $1,000.
SF Weekly spoke with Aaron Forkash, a scrap metal dealer: “Something like that would stick out from the typical load of scrap, which is, like, faucets and fittings and stuff like that,” Forkash said.
The bell was raised into a tower at the church in 1901. In 1964, the church was modernized and the bell was moved to just outside the entrance doors where it remained until last week. The theft occurred sometime between 11 p.m. on Aug. 16 and 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 17, when it was reported stolen.
Police are asking anyone with information on the bell’s whereabouts to contact authorities.
