Christopher Ryan Heanue/FacebookShocking footage has emerged from New York that shows two alleged shoplifters disrupting the funeral mass of a beloved 79-year-old grandmother.
Father Christopher Heanue, of Queens’ Holy Child Jesus Church, had reportedly been coming to the end of the funeral service on February 7, when the intrusion occurred.
Two young men had allegedly just stolen goods from a local convenience store, and were being pursued by a good Samaritan who had apparently witnessed the crime.
They came to the right place – God’s house. These two young men robbed a local convenience store of small items and were chased by a good citizen. They ran to church – timed perfectly with a funeral processing out with a 79 year old deceased grandmother laying in state. With complete disregard for the mourning family. Police were called. Responded immediately. Teens had already fled the church. No police report taken. I do hope these boys return to the church one day under different circumstances – and enter that small confessional in front of which they were caught. Not to receive punishment. But to receive God’s forgiveness and perhaps start on a better path for the rest of their days.
Posted by Christopher Ryan Heanue on Friday, February 7, 2020
While fleeing from the concerned citizen, the two young men – described by Father Heanue as still being in their teens – apparently dived into the Holy Child Jesus Church, just as mourners were carrying the casket back down the main aisle in the direction of the entrance.
Disruption ensued as the funereal organ music continued to play, with the two young men and their pursuer arguing heatedly in the pews. The trio could be heard discussing lighters, which potentially could have been the items allegedly stolen from the store.
In the 23-second clip, later shared on Facebook by Father Heanue, the older man can be heard exclaiming in Spanish, while holding one of the boys by the sleeve. The second boy, who had been standing several feet away, threw a lighter in his companion’s direction.
When asked about the identity of the man chasing them, one of the boys replied, ‘he’s chasing us for no reason’, before they both ran from the church.
Christopher Ryan Heanue/FacebookWriting about the incident on Facebook, Father Heanue said:
They came to the right place – God’s house.
These two young men robbed a local convenience store of small items and were chased by a good citizen. They ran to church – timed perfectly with a funeral processing out with a 79-year-old deceased grandmother laying in state. With complete disregard for the mourning family.
Police were called. Responded immediately. Teens had already fled the church. No police report taken.
I do hope these boys return to the church one day under different circumstances – and enter that small confessional in front of which they were caught. Not to receive punishment. But to receive God’s forgiveness and perhaps start on a better path for the rest of their days.
Christopher Ryan Heanue/FacebookDisrupting a funeral is a misdemeanour. However, although police were called to the scene, they told Father Heanue that – without knowing the the boys’ identities or receiving a complaint from the shop owner – there wasn’t much they could do, the New York Post reports.
Officers did take a copy of the video, in the hopes of identifying the two boys in question.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.