The Most Reverend Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, today announced a $50,000 reward has been posted for information leading to the return of the Tabernacle stolen from St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church in Park Slope during the Memorial Day weekend. The reward is being offered by the company that insures Diocesan properties, in addition to the $3,500 reward publicized by the New York City Police Department earlier this month.
“We continue to pray for the one-of-a-kind Tabernacle, made possible by the original parishioners of St. Augustine, to be returned and then restored, in all its glory, to the heart of this church. However, the theft of this historical item has not robbed the faith of the people of this parish,” said Bishop Robert Brennan.
Earlier this month, Bishop Brennan joined Father Frank Tumino, Pastor of St. Augustine-St. Francis Xavier Parish, at a special Mass that blessed and purified St. Augustine in the wake of the desecration and burglary.
The brazen burglary was discovered in the afternoon of Saturday, May 28, 2022. The thief cut through a metal protective casing and made off with the tabernacle, which has been part of the church since it was built in the late 1800s. This holy sacramental receptacle is irreplaceable due to its historical and artistic value. The angels which flanked the tabernacle were decapitated and destroyed.
At the time the incident was discovered, Father Tumino stated, “To know that a burglar entered the most sacred space of our beautiful church and took great pains to cut into a security system is a heinous act of disrespect.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church is located at 116 6th Avenue (corner of Sterling Place), in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn.
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