Mark Chamberlain knew something was wrong when he walked past the rear of the Church of the Holy Name in Dunedin on Sunday night and the lights were on.
What he was not prepared for was to enter the Great King St building and find a man who had stolen $7000 worth of electronic goods also attacking the church's safe with an angle grinder.
Fr Chamberlain said he had returned from taking his dog for a walk about 10.45pm when he saw the lights on in the sacristy.
He went to investigate and, upon opening a door, was faced with the man with the grinder attempting to open the safe.
The man had already made several attempts on the safe.
Fr Chamberlain yelled "What are you doing?" and the man ran off.
He believed the man may have attended the 7pm Mass at the church and then hidden himself in a room in the sacristy until the last person left the church at 8.30pm.
The man is thought then to have removed many of the lightbulbs to make his presence less obvious.
He stole the church's laptop and data projector before hauling the safe into the middle of the room and trying to cut it with the grinder.
He had also prepared an escape route out of a side window.
Police searched the area but were unable to find the man.
Fr Chamberlain said he had got an "awful" shock, especially as he initially did not know what the man was doing.
He expected many people who attended the church would be upset by the theft.
He was planning to change security arrangements as a result.
Police inquiries are continuing.
