NEW YORK – The Diocese of Brooklyn has offered a hefty $50,000 reward for a valuable and “irreplaceable” religious relic that was cut from a Brooklyn Catholic church during a daring heist over Memorial Day weekend, diocese leaders said. church on Tuesday.
The tabernacle, a piece of pure 18-karat gold and estimated to be worth more than $2 million, was seized from St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church in Park Slope. His absence was discovered on Saturday, May 28. The tabernacle is more than 100 years old, dating back to when the church was built in the 19th century, officials said.
They investigate the theft of a tabernacle of a Brooklyn church valued at more than $ 2 million
While its estimated value is high, church leaders say the tabernacle is primarily irreplaceable due to its historical and artistic value. Property damage was also reported. The angels flanking the relic were decapitated and destroyed.
Investigators have said they believe the thieves broke into the church, which was under construction, sometime between Thursday, May 26, and that Saturday. They then forced their way through a protective metal cover to remove the tabernacle.
Church officials were horrified to find statues of angels decapitated and destroyed, in addition to the Holy Eucharist kept in the tabernacle scattered across the altar.
“This is devastating, as the Tabernacle is the central focus of our church outside of worship, holding the Body of Christ, the Eucharist, which is given to the sick and homebound,” said Father Frank Tumino, pastor of St. Augustine, in time.
Police released photos of the damage caused by the thieves, but no suspects have been publicly identified.
The $50,000 reward is being offered by the company that insures diocesan properties and is in addition to a $3,500 reward that the NYPD announced earlier this month.
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