Parishioner Lynn Kanno cannot fathom how a burglar could steal thousands of dollars from a church in Mililani - on Christmas Day, no less. “;It's unthinkable that it happened on such a sacred day,”; said Kanno. “;It makes you question people. ... Why?”;

An estimated $5,000 to $8,000 in cash was stolen from St. John Apostle and Evangelist Catholic Church at 95-370 Kuahelani Ave. sometime between 2 and 5 a.m. Dec. 25.

The Rev. Manuel Hewe and some members of the church who volunteer to count donations arrived later Christmas morning and discovered the theft from the safe in one of the offices at the rectory. The stolen cash was collected from parishioners at Masses at 6 and 9 p.m. Christmas Eve and a third Mass at midnight.

“;I was shocked when we opened it,”; said Hewe.

Offerings of personal checks were left behind.

The culprit is believed to have entered the rectory through a kitchen window. Three glass louvers were removed and left in the kitchen, and the screen was cut, said Hewe.

Somehow the burglar or burglars found the combination to the safe, which had been well hidden, said Hewe.

That leads church officials to suspect those responsible had inside knowledge.

Kanno said she was shocked to hear of the missing money when she attended Sunday Mass after the unprecedented break-in. Her reaction was echoed among the estimated congregation of 3,000.

“;Everybody knows at Christmastime, the congregation is tenfold,”; said Kanno. “;It didn't make a difference how much it was. It happened at a church. It breaks your heart.”;

Donations collected from Mass go toward the church's rent, Christian doctrine classes for children and outreach programs.

“;He or she is stealing from the worshipping community, not just one person,”; Hewe said.

A number of the congregation's members have since donated to help replace the stolen money. Their generosity surprised church officials, Hewe said, especially with the current state of the economy.

Police said they are continuing their investigation. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Lt. Stanford Afong of the Criminal Investigation Division's Burglary/Theft Detail at 621-8442.