Thieves entered the church of Sant'Antonio in Manduria on June 12th between 11 am and 2 pm and stole an amplifier and part of the sound system from the sacristy, taking advantage of the confusion in the preparation of the patron's local feast the next day.
The discovery was made on June 12th at 5:00 pm, when the priest went to the altar for the blessing of the children and found that the microphone did not work. The theft appeared to have occured sometime between the end of the morning liturgical celebration and 2:00 pm.
The doors were kept open during those hours and the thieves did not force any of the locks, so it is believed that the perpetrators were able to remove the devices while people were still in the church.
The news of the theft spread among the community causing disbelief and consternation among the organizers, who had been busily occupied with the celebrations of the parish saint.
The priests, sad and discouraged, did not file a complaint with the police and preferred to postpone it. The Mass was celebrated "aloud," without the audio system.