The burglars ransacked the church’s offices and other areas, Southwest Chief Riley Smoot said.

“This appears to be a continuation of what’s been going on in the (Shenango) Valley,” Smoot said.

Because of summer schedules canceling Wednesday night choir practice and Boy Scout meetings at the West Middlesex church, it isn’t known when it was broken into. In Wheatland, a vacation Bible school session meant that people were in the church until about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, a member told police. The church was secure when she left, she said.

Police were busy investigating both incidents, Smoot said, and he planned to speak with the valley’s other police chiefs to come up with a strategy to buck the trend.

“It’s really important that ministers and maintenance people check and double check the doors and windows at the church,” Smoot said. “Have the neighbors keep aware and if they see anything, call 911.”

A few hours later, about 5 p.m. Thursday, the third burglary was reported at Second Baptist Church on Walnut Street in Sharpsville. A cleaning lady who was too shaken to give her name reported it to Sharpsville police, who were assisted at the scene by South Pymatuning Township police.

These break-ins were the latest in what’s turning into a rash of crimes at churches.

Sometime Monday or Tuesday, someone broke into Holy Cross Orthodox Church, 950 Maple Drive in Hermitage, and stole cash and a laptop computer. Also during that time someone broke into Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 5139 E. State St. in Hermitage. Between noon May 31 and 10 a.m. June 1, someone broke into the office of Lebanon Presbyterian Church, Lackawannock Township, and stole cash and a computer, state police said.

“Obviously the whole idea” of burglarizing a church is disturbing, Rev. Carlson said. “Why would (they) do that to a church?”