A PARISH priest has told of his shock at coming home from a meeting to find his house had been broken into and money and mementos stolen.

Monsignor Denis Carlin realised something was wrong when he noticed a glass panel on the back door of his house next to Christ the King Church, in Howwood, was broken.

Once inside, the clergyman found the door had been forced open and around £500 of his personal cash had been taken.

Sadly, a gold watch of great sentimental value which was a gift from staff at the Royal Scots College in Salamanca, Spain, had also been swiped.

Now police are hunting for the culprit who raided the three-bedroom detached house in the church grounds, in Bowfield Road, on the afternoon of July 26.

Monsignor Carlin told the Gazette: “I had been out of the house for around four hours, at a church meeting in Paisley, and discovered the break-in when I got home.

“It was a bit of a shock, to say the least.

“The money was in various places, so they must have gone around the house to look for valuables.”

The 66-year-old priest was saving the money for a forthcoming trip to Cuba, a favourite holiday destination.

However, the theft of the watch is an even bigger blow.

He said: “It was given to me by staff at the Royal Scots College in Salamanca, where I was in charge from 1991 to 2005.

“It was a gift to mark my 25 years in the priesthood, so it had great sentimental value.

“I am not bothered about the money, but I would wish the watch to be returned to me.”

Monsignor Carlin says he has no ill feelings towards those who broke into his house.

“I said prayers for them at Mass on Thursday morning,” he added.

“It was only things they stole, and I – nor anyone else – suffered any injury, but I feel my privacy has been violated and it feels strange to think that someone has gone through your things.

“You don’t know what drives them to do these things and I wouldn’t want to guess.”

Monsignor Carlin, who has been a priest since the age of 23, arrived at Christ the King Church last October from St Mary’s Church, in Greenock, where he celebrated 40 years in the priesthood in 2014.

Police say they are following a positive line of enquiry as someone was seen acting suspiciously in the village during the day of the break-in.

Johnstone-based Sergeant Alan Mack said: “We were called to a report of a house being broken into during the day at Bowfield Road in Howwood.

“A window had been smashed and the person responsible managed to gain access.

“Around £500 worth of cash was taken and other valuables.

“We are following a positive line of enquiry.”