Archdiocese of Nagpur calls for prayer and penance after vandals steal tabernacle with Eucharist from St. Claret School on January 14.
Newsroom (22/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) Fear and sorrow have gripped Nagpur’s Catholic community after vandals stole a tabernacle containing the consecrated Eucharist from St. Claret School on the night of January 14. The Archdiocese of Nagpur has since called for a unified day of prayer, penance, and reparation, pleading for divine mercy and strength amid the desecration fears.
CCTV footage reviewed by police shows masked men breaking into the school building just after midnight. They entered the principal’s office first, making off with approximately Rs 30,000—about 330 U.S. dollars—but notably left behind a laptop resting in plain sight. Moments later, they moved into a nearby prayer hall, where they removed a gold-plated tabernacle—an object sacred to Catholics as it houses the Blessed Sacrament.
In a pastoral letter to the faithful, Archbishop Elias Gonsalves described the incident as “a grave offense” and voiced deep concern that the Eucharist had likely been taken along with the tabernacle. “Despite lodging a police complaint, the blessed species have not yet been recovered, and their present condition and whereabouts remain unknown,” he wrote.
While no physical evidence of desecration has yet been found, the archbishop emphasized that even the unlawful removal of the Eucharist constitutes a serious act of sacrilege. “As your shepherd, I feel compelled to invite the entire Archdiocese to unite in prayer, penance, and reparation, entrusting this painful situation to the mercy of God,” Gonsalves said.
He declared January 23 a “Day of Penance and Reparation,” directing all churches and religious houses within the archdiocese to observe an hour of Eucharistic Adoration. “Let us unite in fervent prayer, seeking God’s mercy and making amends for this grievous offence against the Holy Eucharist,” his letter read.
Police investigations are ongoing, though no motive has been established and the culprits remain unidentified. The theft has intensified concerns about religious intolerance and acts of sacrilege in the region, where Christians make up just over one percent of the population.
Nagpur, a bustling city in the heart of Maharashtra with nearly four million residents, is predominantly Hindu, with a significant Buddhist minority. Within this diverse fabric, the Catholic community now mourns both the physical loss of its sacred vessel and the spiritual pain of a possible desecration.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News and Aleteia
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