South Brunswick police are trying to figure out who broke into a church, ransacked room after room and climb through the ceiling to steal thousands of dollars just days before Christmas.

A brazen burglar stopped at nothing for what he or she came for – the collections box – and thousands of dollars in donations meant for the local community.

“Multiple rooms were ransacked until they found where the cash was stored,” said Lt. Michael Pellino, of the South Brunswick Police Department.

Lt. Pellino showed News 12 how they believe the burglar first entered through an unlocked door, ransacked offices behind the sanctuary, broke holes in the ceiling to gain access to locked rooms and finally broke into the office where the cash was stored. It all happened sometime between 8 p.m. Sunday and 7 a.m. Monday.

“This person was in serious desperation one way or another,” said Lt. Pellino.

Despite the theft and destruction left behind, a parishioner says he’s ready to forgive the person who did this.

Across the street from the church, Pierre Hage-Boutros runs his deli and bakery. Hand-drawn art featuring Catholic saints hang on his walls.

“During Christmas we are supposed to have love,” said Hage-Boutros. “I kindly ask whoever did something like this – he should go back to his conscience and go back to the priest, talk to the priest to the committee and apologize.”

Hage-Boutros hopes a guilty conscience will hopefully lead the burglar to find faith and do the right thing.

“If he needed help, he should not do something like this especially on this beautiful holiday and especially in this town,” said the deli owner and parishioner.

Anyone with information should contact South Brunswick police.