BOSTON -- A 76-year-old priest was robbed at a Boston-area shrine on Sunday as he collected a donation box.

The Rev. Gerard Furlan said he was collecting the donation box from the Chapel of Lights at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, Mass., at about 6 p.m. Sunday when a man in his 30s approached him, reported WCVB-TV in Boston.

"I thought he wanted to ask a question. Instead, he grabbed my box of money and ran away," Furlan said.

Furlan estimated that the box contained about $500 in donations.

"I tried to run after him, but I am old and he is young. He runs faster," Furlan said.

The man ran to a waiting van, which then sped off. Witnesses described the vehicle as a dark-colored Chevy van with lines and decals on the side with Florida license plates. A woman was driving and another man was a passenger.

"We're thankful no one got hurt. But at the same time, we are looking for any help from the public to solve this crime," Holliston Police Lt. Keith Edison said.

Holliston is located about 25 miles southwest of Boston.