Bucyrus ? A small Catholic parish in eastern Kansas is suffering a blow to its Christmas spirit.

The pastor of the Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Bucyrus told his congregation Sunday that someone had cleaned out the church’s safe sometime after Christmas.

KSHB-TV reports the Rev. Larry Albertson told his congregation to cancel any checks they wrote to the church. He said someone who knew where things were located in the church opened the safe and walked off with contributions made during five Christmas Masses. The thief then returned the key to the safe.

Albertson estimates the loss is close to $15,000.

Bucyrus, an unincorporated town of about 200 people, is about 30 miles south of Kansas City, Mo.