Saturday, January 19, 2013

Stolen church relics returned with apology

The pastor of a Missouri church said nine stolen relics, including the material remains of Catholic saints, were returned with an apology note.
 
The Rev. Dennis Schmidt of the Ste. Genevieve Catholic Church in Ste. Genevieve said the relics were found in a zip-locked baggie after the 6 a.m. mass Monday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday.

Schmidt said the items, which were taken around Christmas, were returned with a note apologizing for the thefts and asking forgiveness.

The pastor said the thief has been forgiven, but the culprit's identity and motive for the theft remain a mystery.

Lt. Jasen Crump of the Ste. Genevieve Police Department said the case is not being investigated at Schmidt's request.