Authorities are investigating a robbery in which suspected thieves took a religious artifact valued at more than $2 million from a Catholic church in Brooklyn.
An 18-karat gold bejeweled tabernacle is missing from St. Augustine Catholic Church in Park Slope. The tabernacle is over 100 years old, dating back to when the church was built in the 19th century.
Investigators believe the suspects forced their way into the church, currently under construction, sometime between Thursday and Saturday night.
The thieves broke through a protective metal cover to remove the tabernacle.
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Church officials were horrified to find decapitated and destroyed statues of angels, as well as 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.
Police released photos of the damage caused by the suspected thieves, but so far no surveillance video has shown footage of the suspects.
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