Nagpur Archbishop Issues Urgent Pastoral Message After Stolen Tabernacle Incident

Nagpur, January 17, 2026: Issuing an urgent pastoral message marked by deep sorrow and concern, Archbishop Elias Gonsalves of Nagpur has called the faithful of the Archdiocese to prayer, penance, and reparation following a distressing incident at the Prayer Hall of St. Claret School, Butibori, Nagpur.

The pastoral message stated that “during the night of 14 January 2026, unknown persons unlawfully gained entry into the premises of the school, forcibly entered the school, plundered the office, and removed the Tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament from the Prayer Hall situated adjacent to the Principal’s Office.” It further noted that “despite the immediate intervention of the civil authorities and the lodging of a police complaint, the Sacred Species have not yet been recovered, and their present condition and whereabouts remain unknown.”

Speaking to Catholic Connect, the Archbishop’s secretary said he visited the site the following morning, where civil authorities were already present and examining CCTV footage. Based on the circumstances, he said, it appeared to be a case of theft.

The secretary stated that the perpetrators had taken cash from the school office and removed from the Prayer Hall “things that appeared to be in gold colour,” including the Tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament. Referring to the CCTV footage, he said “five unidentified individuals forcibly entered the school office.”

He added that the Pyx was also missing and that “the Blessed Species were not found within the Prayer Hall, suggesting that they were taken away and not profaned on the premises.”

In the pastoral message, the Archbishop clarified that “no act of profanation has been established within the Prayer Hall itself,” while emphasising that “the unlawful removal of the Most Holy Eucharist constitutes a grave offense and gives rise to a serious danger of sacrilege.”

In response, the Archbishop decreed that Friday, January 23, 2026, be observed throughout the Archdiocese as a Day of Penance and Reparation, mandating “that an hour of Eucharistic Adoration be observed in all Churches and religious houses of the Archdiocese of Nagpur, at a time suitable to the faithful or the religious community.”

By Catholic Connect Reporter