Parish cheers recovery of stolen tabernacle

Father Raiche was referring to the discovery of the theft of the tabernacle from the church after the doors were locked on the evening of April 5.

According to the pastor, several Knights of Columbus were the last people to leave the church. "They locked up and left," he told The Evangelist. "The door was apparently pried open sometime later that night."

With the beginning of Holy Week coming up, word raced through the parish that the tabernacle had been stolen. Inside were consecrated wafers of the Holy Eucharist. New York State Troopers from the Schodack Barracks were immediately called and investigators responded.

Early Saturday afternoon, a man who was fishing in a Poestenkill creek discovered the damaged tabernacle in the water and called the police.

Once the 300-pound tabernacle was pulled out of the creek, it was discovered that the outside had been tampered with in an unsuccessful attempt to pry it open. The tabernacle was examined by the forensic identification unit of the State Police and returned to St. Henry's.

"Although everyone was upset that it was stolen, the big issue was having the consecrated Eucharist inside returned intact," said Father Raiche. "There was less concern for the tabernacle itself, although it does hold significant historical and emotional value to our parishioners." (The tabernacle was a gift to the parish in 1940.)

"By the 4 p.m. Vigil Mass on Saturday, I was able to announce to parishioners that the tabernacle had been recovered with the Eucharist still inside," said the pastor. "The entire congregation applauded."

Father Raiche also noted that the outside of the repository for the consecrated host is brass-plated and looks like gold. He said that he thinks some people mistakenly think church tabernacles hold valuable gems or even gold, when in fact there are usually only glass trays or holders to contain the Eucharist.

"The value of this item does not lie in the metal on it, but in its actual construction," he explained.

Father Raiche described the 70-year old receptacle as being "just like a safe," tamper-proof and very difficult to open without a key. When the tabernacle was actually recovered, although the outside was damaged, the inner chamber had not been broken and "all the Eucharist wafers were still there," Father said.

Once returned to the parish, the consecrated hosts could not be disposed of by simply discarding them. According to Rev. James Donlon, Judicial Vicar for the Albany Diocese, the hosts were "properly placed in the sacrarium in the sacristy of the church." The sacrarium is a basin that drains directly into the ground, used for the disposal of water used sacramentally.

(The theft is still under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call the State Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Schodack barracks at 477-9333.)

(04-12-01) [[In-content Ad]]