Sacrilegious Theft at Church in Ancona
A patena used during the Eucharist was stolen from a church in Ancona, in an act directly targeting an object of central liturgical significance, which is considered a “sacrilegious theft,” by the parish priest.
The incident occurred on 1 March 2025 at the Church of the Servi di Maria on Via del Conero, where unknown individuals removed a patena from near the altar. The object, a wooden plate with a gold coating, is used during the Mass to hold the host before and after consecration and to cover the chalice.
Parish priest Padre Piergiorgio Agostini described the act as a “sacrilegious theft,” emphasising that while the object has a limited monetary value (around 300 euros), its religious significance is considerable. He stated: “A thing like this had never happened in the parish.” Following the incident, the church introduced restricted opening hours to prevent further occurrences.
The parish had already experienced previous incidents in recent months, including the theft of money donated by the faithful for roof repairs and the temporary theft of a parish minibus, which was later recovered.
Source: you tvrs
Picutre: freepik