Priest Punched By Burglar In Confrontation Caught On Video

CHICAGO, IL — Friday night's break-in at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in the Ashburn neighborhood on Chicago's South Side was not the first time in recent years that something like that happened there. It was also far from the first burglary incident experienced by Father Matt Compton, the associate pastor at the church, who was punched in the face by a man he caught in the act of burglarizing the rectory around 11:45 p.m. on June 15.

"There have been robberies at every parish where I've been," said Compton, whose previous assignments in the Archdiocese of Chicago have been at St. Francis Xavier in Wilmette, St. Gilbert in Grayslake and Holy Name Cathedral.

But Friday night's incident at St. Thomas More, of which a brief church surveillance video clip was shared by Chicago police in hopes of finding the offender, was the first time Compton caught a burglar in the act.

"It was a bit surreal," Compton said. "I had seen videos of burglars, but to encounter one in person was different. There was a surprise, thinking that I couldn't believe this was actually happening. And then confusion, wondering who he was and what he was doing here, all while processing what was going on and how I could stop it."

The burglar had already made it through several rooms on the first floor and some on the second level before Compton heard a loud noise and saw him in the hallway on the second floor, where other priests at the church were asleep at the time.

Compton approached the unknown man and asked him "Who are you?" and "What are you doing here?"

During the brief verbal exchange between the two, the offender is said to have told the priest he was "here to pray."

The man, carrying a backpack that belonged to Compton, said he just wanted to leave and that he would drop the bag, which he did. But before bolting down the stairs and to a door near the rear of the rectory building, Compton said the man punched him in the right side of his face, causing minor cuts that are nearly all gone four days later.

"When I first realized someone was here who was not a priest, I did think of the possibility that someone was going through a crisis and needed to speak with one of us," Compton said. "But why at this hour, and how did they get in?"

Compton said the burglar must have had trouble using the door on his way out because when the priest went down there he was still there. This part is captured on a surveillance video, which appears to show Compton attempting to hold the door closed before the burglar eventually figures out how to open it and flees heading west from the rectory at 81st and Mozart.

Once the door was open, the church alarm went off and the security company was notified, along with Chicago police. During the confrontation between Compton and the burglar, the pastor had awakened and called police as well.

It wasn't until later when Compton realized the burglar made off with his wallet, a flat-screen television, laptop and printer.

"He likely had an accomplice," said Compton, who says evidence left at the scene show that the burglar entered the rectory by removing an air conditioner on the first floor.

Other items, like a microwave and mini refrigerator, were misplaced and Compton believes the burglars would have taken them too had the opening caused by the air conditioner's removal been large enough.

Although Compton says the value of the items stolen Friday night is likely somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000, a similar burglary that occurred there in August of 2016 may have actually caused more financial damage.

Then, it was reported that numerous rooms were dismantled and two computers were among items stolen while all priests remained asleep. READ MORE: 'No Boundaries' After Catholic Church Ransacked Overnight

Compton points to other incidents on the church grounds over the past two years.

In July of 2016, he saw a group of teenagers on bicycles hurl rocks at the glass doors. On Halloween that year, a few teenagers were spotted on a side of the building that is not easily accessible by the public and were checking to see if doors were open.

"It did not seem as if they were trick-or-treating," Compton said.

Then, in December of that same year, Compton saw someone try to move an air conditioner up and down from a second floor window.

Compton speaks of a temporary "annoyance" as a result of the most recent burglary since his wallet was stolen. He had to immediately call his bank to void fraudulent purchase attempts on his credit cards and close them out. Arrangements will need to be made for him to get a replacement driver's license.

But he also notes his role as a leader in the Catholic Church to forgive the ones responsible for the crime.

"We want justice, and this country allows for that to happen," he said. "And in The Bible, one of the Ten Commandments is 'Thou Shalt Not Steal.'"

"But I will also have to ask God to help me forgive this man. After all, God does want us all to go to Heaven."

Anyone with information on the burglary at St. Thomas More should contact the Chicago Police Department and Detective Mizera at 312-747-8730.

Photo: Father Matt Compton stands in the rectory at St. Thomas More Catholic Church on the South Side / By Tim Moran, Patch