A relic of St Mary Magdalene was stolen from the Cathedral of the Madeleine on the morning of July 10. The theft was discovered at about 7 am when one of the cathedral staff members found the broken reliquary on the floor beneath the crucifix.
According to Father Martin Diaz, the cathedral’s rector, this appears to be an act of theft, not vandalism.
“This was a person looking for something of value to sell,” Father Diaz said, according to the Intermountain Catholic newspaper of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.
“It is likely that he picked up the reliquary, but once he got it off the shelf could not hold it, as it is very heavy. Once it was broken open, he took the one thing that appeared sellable.”