A 275-pound copper and tin church bell was stolen Monday from a Yonkers church yard.

Reverend Leroy Leach, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on the corner of Mulberry Street and Ashburton Avenue, first discovered the missing bell. It had been covered with a tarp and stored for two weeks behind the church as parishioners awaited the purchase of a $13,000 electronic bell system. The church had planned to trade the bells to help defray costs. The stolen bell, one of three, was first installed at the church in 1957.

Reverend Leach says the church doesn?t have enough money to make the swap with one bell missing. He adds he warned parishioners to complete the project quickly because he feared the bell would be stolen.