Someone Donated 'Grenades' To Worcester Church

WORCESTER, MA — Grenades were found in a back-to-school donation at a Worcester church on Friday morning. Police closed Harlow Street after several grenades were found in St. Bernard's Church of Our Lady of Providence Parish, police said. The grenades were found as the donated back-to-school supplies were being organized. Officers combed the area and a bomb tech truck was brought in.

The situation was quickly resolved and the road reopened after police determined the grenades were "not functional." The grenades turned out to be inert training grenades and not harmful to anyone, police said.

No one was inside of the church during the incident. Police said there does not appear to be malicious intent.

Officers were met by Boston ATF and the state police bomb squad.

This is the second time this week Worcester had a bomb scare. On Tuesday, a suspicious package reported on Water and Grafton Street shut down the whole area to traffic and officers made door-to-door stops to residents in the area. The item, which was in a backpack, was not an explosive or dangerous, according to police.

Patch will update this story.