Mags GarganPriests have described the theft of the Blessed Sacrament from a Co. Cavan church as deeply upsetting and proof that we are losing a sense of respect for the sacred in Irish society.
It is believed that two young children managed to break into the sacristy of St Patrick’s Church in Kilnaleck, Co. Cavan last week, where they found the keys of the tabernacle and stole the consecrated hosts. Some altar wine was also stolen and the thieves damaged a statue, but the chalices or other items of material value were not taken.
Fr Micheál Quinn PP described the incident as “unpleasant” and “disappointing” and said that it had caused “deep upset” in the parish. “I think it begs bigger questions about faith, values, beliefs and respect above all for what is sacred and if that has been passed on to the younger generation,” he told The Irish Catholic. “It must lead to a conversation about what values we are losing and what beliefs are carried forward. If we don’t pass our values to our young people, then we are going to suffer the consequences.”
Meath-based Fr John Hogan, a presenter on EWTN, described the theft of the Blessed Sacrament as “desecration”, which he said is a “very serious and saddening situation”. “My heart goes out to the priest and the people of the parish. It shows that we need to be vigilant with the Blessed Sacrament. It is the greatest gift God has given us and it has to be cherished but protected as well,” he told this paper.
“I can only hope that [the thieves] didn’t know what they were doing. People have lost faith in the Blessed Sacrament and don’t understand what it is anymore. That is a failure in catechesis, but that being said it doesn’t excuse disrespecting what others consider sacred.”