The tabernacle from the old church contains the Blessed Sacrament at St. Thomas Church in Decatur, where thieves broke in Oct. 28 and stole the tabernacle from the reservation chapel. DECATUR - The tabernacle at St. Thomas the Apostle Church was stolen in an overnight break-in on Oct. 28. Thieves broke a stained glass window to gain access to the 30-year-old church, which replaced the original church, built in 1929 as a combination church and school.

 

Father James O'Shea, pastor at St. Thomas, discovered the desecration just before 6 a.m. on Oct. 29.

The ornate cast bronze, steel-encased tabernacle, which features the image of two angels on either side, was designed by August Schmitz and Co. of Peoria. Inside the tabernacle were a large and a smaller ciborium, a luna and lunette for the monstrance, two large pyxes and smaller pyxes.

The tabernacle was in a reservation chapel adjacent and partially visible from the nave on the east side of the church.

"The theft and desecration of the great treasure, the Blessed Sacrament itself, is the worst loss of all. It is really desecration of the church," said Father O'Shea.

 "I doubt if they realized what they were taking. Perhaps they thought it contained money, but it contained a greater treasure than that."

He said parishioners were stunned and upset when they learned what had happened.

Also taken in the robbery were an industrial-size hand truck, a hammer, and a pleated white table skirt, used as a table drape at a cremation. The sacristy door was broken open, but nothing was taken. No vandalism was done.

The tabernacle was very heavy, said Bob Fogarty, custodian at St. Thomas. "A few years back, when the church was re-carpeted, it took several of us to move it, and it certainly wasn't easy."

The tabernacle from the old church was moved into the reservation chapel. Decatur police are investigating the case, and an insurance report has been filed.

A representative from Emil Frei Stained Glass in St. Louis came to St. Thomas on Nov. 5, to retrieve the pieces of large colored faceted chunk glass from the broken window to construct a new mosaic window.

"The sun really reflects beautifully through the church windows," said Father O'Shea.

In the Nov. 4 church bulletin, Father O'Shea asked everyone, "Please pray for the return of the tabernacle, the contents and most especially the Blessed Sacrament itself. Pray in reparation for this desecration. Pray also for the perpetrators and that we forgive them."