St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church / Google Maps
CV NEWS FEED // St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Portland, Oregon, is offering a $1,000 reward for anyone who finds the tabernacle and consecrated hosts that were stolen from the church in late May.
The Blessed Sacrament and the tabernacle were stolen by a suspect who broke into the church three separate times, first on May 28, local news outlet KOIN 6 News reported. The church’s pastor Fr. Ignacio Llorente, said that based on security camera footage, on May 28 the suspect broke into the church’s bell tower before breaking a window and door to enter the office area. He took several items, including keys, before leaving.
According to Fr. Llorente, the suspect returned the next day around 1 a.m. and he stole a bike and a speaker from the parish house. He later returned at 4 a.m., when he came into the chapel and stole the tabernacle, which is made of wood that is painted gold.
St. Michaels has offered a $1,000 reward for anyone who finds the stolen tabernacle and Eucharist.
“I don’t care for the bike or the speaker or the other things that were stolen, but yes, to recover the tabernacle, and most precisely, the blessing host that is inside the tabernacle,” Fr. Llorente said.
Catholics believe that the Eucharist is substantially the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, under the appearance of bread and wine.
According to KOIN 6, police did arrest a suspect who was later released.
