A profanation was discovered at the Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Fermo. Sacred vessels were stolen, the tabernacle was profaned, and consecrated hosts were removed together with the pyx in which they were kept. The incident affected the local Catholic community and prompted the archbishop to call for acts of reparation and a Mass of reparation.
On 1 July 2026, Don Mario Malloni discovered signs of theft and profanation upon entering the Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Fermo, of which he is the parish priest. According to the report, sacred vessels were stolen, the tabernacle was profaned, and consecrated hosts were taken together with the pyx containing them.
The offence constitutes sacrilegious theft and desecration. The stolen items included objects used in Catholic worship, while the tabernacle and consecrated hosts were also affected during the incident.
Archbishop Rocco Pennacchio invited the faithful to pray for those responsible and to offer a gesture of reparation. As the theft of consecrated hosts is a particularly serious form of desecration in Catholic belief, a Mass of reparation was scheduled to be celebrated by the archbishop at the Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in response to the incident.