Mexico: Hosts consecrated in Michoacán chapel stolen

A chapel was looted in the municipality of Pátzcuaro, in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The criminals stole a ciborium with consecrated hosts and the sound equipment of the Catholic church.

Father Hugo Ramírez García, priest of the parish of San Pedro Pareo in the Archdiocese of Morelia, to which the chapel belongs, related through a statement that the robbery occurred on November 29, just at the beginning of the novena in honor of San Juan Diego—the seer of the Virgin of Guadalupe—whose holiday the Catholic Church celebrates on December 11 and to whom the chapel is consecrated.

Pátzcuaro is one of the most recognized municipalities in the state of Michoacán for its tourist and religious attraction, and is located almost 60 kilometers from Morelia, the state capital.

Father Ramírez García denounced that “the tabernacle was violated in its lock, thus committing a serious sacrilege against Our Lord Jesus Christ.” He also explained that, in addition to the ciborium, the criminals took “a sound system (amplifier and console) and a small speaker of the four that were” in the place.

In response to the robbery, the priest urged the community to “intensify our prayer of reparation for those who committed sacrilege and for this community, beaten in its faith.”

Likewise, he asked the faithful to remain “attentive and reinforce the security of our places of worship, especially if we have the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.” He also asked the parish priests to be alert in case the stolen objects, especially the ciborium, are offered for sale.

Father Ramírez García highlighted the need to learn from “such a sad experience” and encouraged the faithful to approach the Blessed Sacrament with greater devotion.