Fr John Dunphy of the Holy Cross Church in Killeshin, Co Laois, said the discovery was made at 5.30pm on Wednesday when the woman who closes the church found that a case in which the Relic of the True Cross has been displayed since 2005 had been smashed.
The tiny wooden relic, which is said to have been from the cross on which Jesus was crucified at Calvary, was donated to the church by Pope Pius VII in 1822 shortly after it was opened.
Fr Dunphy said that while it has no monetary worth, the relic was of huge spiritual value to the local community. “Lots of people come from far and wide to venerate it and to be blessed by it. Local people would feel very privileged to have it,” he said.
The relic – which is made of pewter and contains a 3mm by 3mm piece of wood – was encased in a glass panel in the centre of a brass cross that is kept in a wooden box.
“The whole cross was stolen. It looks very decorative,” Fr Dunphy said. “It looks gold but it’s only painted brass – so it holds no monetary value.”
The relic was previously stolen in 2000 but was later discovered discarded in a local quarry.
Gardaí in Abbeyleix say the theft occurred between 10am and 5.30pm on August 22nd.
They are appealing for anyone who visited the Holy Cross Church on Wednesday between 10am and 6pm who witnessed anything suspicious to contact Abbeyleix Garda station on 057 8730580, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.