Courtesy the Diocese of Brooklyn
‘Irreplaceable’ tabernacle stolen from Park Slope church
In what pastors are calling 'a heinous act of disrespect,' an artifact that dates to the church's earliest days has been taken
A Park Slope church is praying for the return of an “irreplaceable” tabernacle, valued at $2 million, that was stolen over the long weekend.
According to the Diocese of Brooklyn, burglars cut through “metal protective casing” at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church on Friday, making off with the most sacred part of the church. The tabernacle—a fixed, locked box in which the Eucharist is stored as part of the “reserved sacrament” rite—dates back to church’s opening in the late 1800s and is “irreplaceable due to its historical and artistic value.”
In the course of the robbery, the angels that flank over the tabernacle were “decapitated and destroyed” and the Holy Eucharist located inside of it was “thrown all over the altar.”
“To know that a burglar entered the most sacred space of our beautiful Church and took great pains to cut into a security system is a heinous act of disrespect,” said Father Frank Tumino in a statement, who is a pastor at the church.
The tabernacle is hard to miss as it’s covered in gold and is adorned with crosses on its top and front door. The New York Police Department is investigating the incident and is seeking public’s help.
