An elderly nun’s unwavering faith and courage thwarted a pair of thieves’ plans, leaving them to regret ever crossing paths with her.
In an unexpected turn of events, two would-be thieves found themselves outmatched by an elderly nun after targeting a charity in Buffalo, New York. The entire episode, showcasing their miscalculation and the nun’s courage, was caught on video.
Sister Mary Johnice Rzadkiewicz, the director of the Response to Love Center, which helps the underprivileged, was interrupted during her early morning prayers by an unusual noise outside. Investigating the disturbance, she discovered that the charity was under attack by criminals.
As she ventured outdoors to find the source of the commotion, Sister Johnice came across a ladder, revealing the culprits’ plan to scale the building and steal copper pipes. But the determined nun refused to let the criminals desecrate what she considered “God’s property.”
Recounting the incident to Buffalo News, Sister Johnice said:
“I opened the door and saw a ladder — here’s a ladder over here, and I walked out, and I looked up, and said, ‘Get out of here. How dare you do this to God’s property — this is his mission!'” Sister Johnice told WKBW.
In a heroic effort, Sister Johnice mustered all her strength to pull down the ladder, all while praying fervently. At least one of the burglars quickly realized they had severely underestimated the 76-year-old nun and her unwavering faith.
As she described the moment, Sister Johnice stated, “I saw the ladder. I saw the guy. I threw the ladder down, which was huge as could be, and lo and behold, they ran away.” She later admitted to being amazed at her own strength. Despite sensing the evil around her, Sister Johnice remained fearless, her adrenaline fueling her actions.
The thief stranded on the roof eventually jumped down and fled the scene, while Sister Johnice prayed he wouldn’t get hurt. The charity later posted images of the suspects on its Facebook page, seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the “morons” who had tried to steal copper downspouts. However, the thieves didn’t realize that previous vandals had already made off with the copper downspouts, which had since been replaced with aluminum ones worth mere pennies.
Mike Gilhooly, the assistant director at the Response to Love Center, wrote on Facebook:
“Well too bad they are made of aluminum worth only pennies. Meanwhile, Sister Johnice hollered and kicked out the ladder from under them and commandeered the ladder. She’s one tough cookie.”
Sister Johnice has opted to keep the ladder, now nicknamed “Jacob’s ladder” after the biblical tale of a ladder connecting heaven and earth. She said the center had never owned a ladder that could reach the roof, and it serves as a poignant reminder of the incident that led her to pray for the “greedy,” “selfish,” and “broken” suspects.
“Every day I’ve been praying for these two thugs,” Sister Johnice said. “I’m sure desperation did it,” she added, referring to the suspects’ motives. “You know it’s only gutters — it’s only pipes, but what if it’s a life? But God does not want this to be a battlefield for people — a fearful place,” she continued.
Adding to the nun’s disappointment was the fact that the suspects could have sought help from the charity rather than attempting to steal. Sister Johnice lamented, “They could have come here for food or clothing. They could have come for a kind word, some guidance, but they chose a different route. That is not of God, that is evil. I just wish I could meet them.”
WATCH the video below for more details:
Sources: Taphaps, The Blaze, WKBW, Buffalo News
