ST. LOUIS (AP) – A century-old confessional door has been stolen from a historic south St. Louis Catholic church.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/1U3WRcs ) that police are investigating the theft of the door, which was stolen on Sunday or Monday from St. Francis de Sales Oratory.

The Rev. Canon Andrew Todd, a vicar at the church, says he believes the theft was pre-meditated. Removing the door from its hinges requires tools, and it takes some strength to carry it.

The door is tall, ornately hand-carved and more than 100 years old. Todd estimates that it’s worth thousands of dollars.

The door’s home is considered the only St. Louis-area church based on German Gothic architecture. The door has resided in the church since the structure’s completion in 1908.