Mission members stunned by theft of bronze bell

The theft of a Buddhist temple bell in a small former plantation village north of Hilo has left members of the house of worship in “shock and disbelief,” according to a church official.

“We have Wednesday morning service, and the minister comes out and rings the bell. And when he came out Wednesday morning, the bell was gone,” Rose Broughton, secretary of Papaaloa Hongwanji Mission, said Thursday. “Our congregation is mostly in their 80s and 90s, and the bell’s been here most of their lives, since 1919. We’re just devastated. It’s a huge loss for the church. Culturally, historically, it’s a huge loss.”

The bronze bell, which was cast in Japan in 1919, has been part of the 112-year-old temple’s heritage since. It was taken from a metal eye fixture attached to a wooden A-frame structure on a side walkway at the church sometime between Oct. 14 and Wednesday morning’s service.

Richard Fujii, the temple’s president, said the bell weighed “at least 100 pounds.”

“It was just an S-hook that connected it,” he said. “It was held up by a cable.”

Broughton said she believes the theft of the bell, which was 24 inches wide and 30 inches tall, “was really well-planned.”

“It would take a couple of people to get it down from here. You can see where it was dinged,” she said, pointing to circular indentations in the wooden handrail directly beneath the bell’s perch.

“They took it downstairs, to the back, and there’s actually tire marks where they had backed the car up. So they knew where it was; they knew they needed a couple of people to get it down and then drag it. Hopefully, they didn’t damage it.”

Broughton said an artist who works with bronze told her the bell could be worth $1,000-$5,000.

“But to us, it’s irreplaceable,” she said.

Police released a statement Thursday morning seeking public information on the theft and the bell’s current location. Broughton said she called a local exterminator Thursday morning and found word of the theft had spread quickly via social media.

“The lady who answered the phone … she said, ‘Wait a minute. Did you get your bell back?’” Broughton said. “There’s a big word of mouth, and a lot of people are concerned.”

This isn’t the first time an iconic church symbol has been stolen from a Big Island house of worship. On Aug. 12, 2014, a 7-foot-tall white wooden cross was uprooted from the front lawn of the United Community Church in Hilo. The cross, which a witness said was taken by a jogger, was found and returned to the historic church at the corner of Kinoole and Mohouli streets.

The Rev. Merle Lai, the Hilo church’s pastor, said then that there was “much forgiveness for what happened” and appealed to the community for information that could lead to the return of the cross.

Fujii expressed similar sentiments, and said the 32 church members “just want the bell back.”

“We hold no grudges; we feel sorry for (the thief or thieves), actually,” he said.

“It’s a very tight community out here; it’s interconnected,” Broughton added. “There are people who have lived here their whole lives, and there are new people who have moved in and who are really committed to the community, too. So we’re really hopeful to get it back.”

Carrie Luke-Knotts, the temple’s treasurer, said the theft is a reminder times have changed, even in the seemingly sleepy Hamakua Coast hamlet.

“Out here is country, and there was a time when everyone left their doors unlocked, people left their keys in their cars,” she said. “Everyone knew everyone, and everybody helped out and took care of each other. And now it’s come to this, where you have to lock up a church, for crying out loud. That’s really sad.”

Anyone with information about this incident or the bell’s location is asked to call the police nonemergency line at 935-3311 or Officer Robert Panem at 962-2120, or email Sgt. Jefferson Grantz at jefferson.grantz@hawaiicounty.gov.

Those who prefer anonymity can call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune -herald.com.