Altar Desecrated and Relics Taken From Church
Unknown perpetrators broke into St Martinus Church in Neuss-Holzheim, stole a Missal and relics of St Martin from inside the church altar, damaging the altar. The burglary caused limited material damage but a significant religious loss, requiring the altar to be blessed before it could again be used for worship.
During the night of 29–30 July, St. Martinus Church in Neuss-Holzheim, was targeted in a sacrilegious theft. The perpetrators entered the church through a side entrance, smashed a glass panel at the front of the altar, and stole the relics of Saint Martin of Tours, the church's patron saint, along with a missal which was later recovered underneath a car several streets away. Bloodstains found on and around the altar led investigators to believe that one or more of the perpetrators may have been injured during the break-in.
Although the material damage was limited, the removal of the relics affected an object of veneration central to the parish's religious heritage. Parish priest Fr Andreas Süß described the burglary as deeply distressing, stating: "For us as a parish, it is unimaginable how anyone could break into a church. There seems to be a complete lack of respect for a house of God." He announced that the altar would be blessed following the incident and that additional security measures would be considered.
The burglary was not the first to affect the church. In January 2023, unknown perpetrators broke into the sacristy, causing extensive damage and stealing numerous sacred objects. Approximately six months later, a monstrance and several chalices stolen during that earlier break-in were found abandoned on the roof of a garage. Police are investigating the latest theft.
Sources: katholisch.de, westdeutschezeitung
Image: Wiki Commons
