On January 11th, it was discovered that unknown perpetrators had broken into St Brigid's Church in Milltown, county Kildare, and stole the tabernacle, containing the ciborium with Communion hosts, as well as the sacristy safe and a candle shrine. The tabernacle was later found by the police in a nearby field.
The perpetrators smashed a stained-glass window, broke down the side door and also left priest's vestments lying across the floor. “There was absolute devastation in the parish when we discovered what had happened,” explained Fr Willie Byrne. He thinks that the sacred objects were dumped when the thieves realized they did not contain any money. “There is a misconception that there is money in parish churches. Any money collected tends to be very small and the candle shrine had recently been emptied.”
On the same week-end, the Church of the Most Holy Rosary in Abbeyleix, Co Laois, belonging to the same diocese of Kildare und Leighlin, was vandalized as well. Read about it here.