St. Peter's Catholic Cathedral employees on Friday discovered seven copper drainpipes missing from the church's outside walls, according to the church rector.
Church employees believe the shiny copper pipes, which are valuable and can be sold for scrap, were stolen Thursday night, said the Rev. Joseph Cocucci.
The church, at 500 N. West St. in Wilmington, is surrounded by a wall and gated courtyard that is locked at night. The thieves likely jumped over the wall, he said.
"Obviously, the lock didn't keep these people out," Cocucci said. "We usually don't have that kind of trouble."
The pipes were installed when the church got a new roof about five years ago, he said.
The value of the downspouts won't be known until the church can get a contractor to estimate replacement costs next week, he said.
Cocucci said church staff reported the theft Friday to Wilmington police. City police detectives could not be reached for additional information.