JERSEY CITY - A church in the Heights is looking for help identifying a man caught on camera leaving the rectory with a safe full of money.

St. Nicholas Church on Central Avenue posted a photo in its bulletin on Sunday of the man alleged to have stolen the safe from a priest's room on July 2.

The priest told police he opened the safe the night before, deposited about $1,000 in cash, and then went to say Mass at the church. He noticed the safe was missing the following evening, according to a police report.

The priest also reported keeping credit cards and passports in the safe. The door to his second-floor room was not locked at the time of the burglary, police said.

A few hours before the priest called police, a New York man found the safe on Sherman Avenue between Franklin and Hutton streets. The Good Samaritan brought the safe, which still contained the priest's passports and credit cards, to the North District police station, the report states.

The money, however, was gone when the safe was returned, police said.

The parish is asking anyone who may know the man to contact police.

Several calls to the church were not returned.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.