Robbery at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn Park Slope Discovered on Saturday Father Frank Tumino, local pastor, who said in the claim that the tabernacle was “the central of our church outside of worship.”
Tumino was on his way confess at the parish up in street when he passed St. Augustine and noticed that one of The doors were ajar, according to the Table, a diocese publication.
As he entered the church, he stumbled upon the destruction, finding the Eucharist – usually unleavened bread or waffles – strewn across the altar. View made he feels bad, he said, adding in assertion that the Eucharist in the tabernacle was used in Participle for sick and chained to the house.
Church officials said the burglary happened on Friday, while police gave a wider window, saying it happened between 6:30 pm Thursday and 4:00 pm Saturday. There were no witnesses, no security cameras. available This was announced by the NYPD. in email. Tumino said that while there are security cameras in the church in its interior and exterior, parts of observation system we also taken during the robbery.
metal case on the altar was “forcibly opened” with a power saw, the police said, allowing the Tabernacle to be seized. statues of angels on or side of tabernacles were “beheaded and destroyed”, – also reported in the diocese. The empty safe was also cut.
The police had no leads on potential suspects as of Monday night and asked anyone with information contact the department for theft crime Unit rev. Tumino suggested that several people were involved in robbery given the enormous weight of tabernacle.
Although the police said the tabernacle was made of solid gold, Father Robert Whelan said in year 2013 program about the church, that it was covered with solid silver in 18 carat gold.
The tabernacle was finished in 1895, Whelan said, a few years after the discovery of the church the New York Times described in 1892 as “Best in Brooklyn”. Saint Augustine – and inside the tabernacle – narrowly escaped hit on the plane that crashed in Park Slope in 1960 killing tens. “The plane crashed to earth just a few feet from the towering spire.” of church, article in The Catholic Standard and Times said at the time.
The jewels attached to the tabernacle were donated by the congregation, Whelan said: who asked at the time to bring their jewelry for this is use. Diamonds and other jewels from engagement and engagement rings were used to decorate the structure.
Whelan said in in program that it was “probably the most elaborate tabernacle in country.”
Jacqueline Pizer contributed to this report.
