Vandals smashed the windows at a historic church and now the community is fundraising to get them fixed.

The windows of St Mary’s Church in Thame were smashed late at night on Monday,July 10. The church does not know who vandalised the windows, but the Curate believes it was an act of frustration.

Mike Reading, who is currently Curate at St Mary’s in Thame said: “We said to the town it is very sad this has happened, but if somebody is frustrated then get in contact and we will talk with you. If somebody looks back and thinks ‘oh golly I have made a big mistake’ get back to us, nothing is beyond forgiveness.”

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He added: “People get tanked up and they end up doing daft things, but it is a sad state of affairs when an individual or group of people decide they want to vandalise a building such as a church.”

The church is hundreds of years old and the smashed windows have caused more than £5,000 worth of damage.

Oxford Mail:

After the incident, the Curate shared the news with the town on Facebook and he was flooded with support. The town decided to help fix the church windows and wanted to fundraise.

At first members of the church wanted to give the money to support a group in the town that might be working with those who feel frustrated.

However, it was felt that the town had been asked to make the donations to fix the window, so a funding page through Go Fund Me was set up by the church to mend the smashed window.

Initially setting the target at £1,000 they have now fundraised £3,800 including cash donations.

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Mr Reading said: “I think it shows that the church isn’t dead towards people and that people still have an affection for the church.

“Sometimes we think the church does not have any relevance in people lives, but I think this demonstrates that actually for many people in the town it does.

"These are not all people that are worshipping with us Sunday by Sunday, but they see the church as a parish church that belongs to them.

“It is hundreds and hundreds of years old, and in that time, it has seen us at our best and it has seen us at our worst."

Oxford Mail:

Grateful for the donations the Curate wants to remind the community in Thame that anybody is welcome to church services and that he can forgive the person or group of people that smashed the windows.

Mr Reading said: “We have just had an absolute warmth and affection from the town which is particularly heartening in what has been a tragic week.

“This happened the same week there was this awful murder in town. I think people are wanting to give encouragement to each other."

He added: “We are here for everybody, as a parish church nobody is not welcome to come in including whoever caused that damage, but we would rather they came through the front door.”

To help raise money and restore St Mary’s Church windows donate at: https://uk.gf.me/v/c/46rb/restoration-of-st-mary039s-windows