A thief stole an historic tabernacle worth $2 million from a Catholic church in Park Slope, Brooklyn, over the weekend, local police reported. The 18-karat gold, jewel-encrusted tabernacle is more than 100 years old and, according to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, dates back to the 1890s when the St. Augustine Church was constructed. According to police, a metal casing on the altar housing the tabernacle was “forcefully cut open” and a statue of an angel was decapitated during the crime. In photos posted by the church and the diocese, debris and eucharist wafers can be seen littering the ground in front of the altar. The church’s pastor discovered the crime on Saturday, but police speculate that the robbery occurred on Friday around 6:30 pm. “This holy sacramental receptacle is irreplaceable due to its historical and artistic value,” the diocese said.
