A venerated receptacle stolen from a Catholic church during a burglary last month has been recovered, but another cherished item is still missing.
During the overnight hours of May 28th and May 29th, 2024, St. Michael the Archangel Church, 424 Southwest Mill Street, was burglarized, and items were stolen. One of them, a golden tabernacle made of wood, is precious to the church membership. They put up flyers around the neighborhood offering a reward for its return. On the morning of Saturday, June 15, 2024, the church was notified that a woman had the tabernacle and wanted to return it. The meeting was set, and PPB members from the Specialized Resources Division and Central Precinct ensured the tabernacle was recovered and the reward was provided. The woman who had it is not a suspect in the burglaries and is cooperating with the investigation.
The burglaries remain under investigation, and no one has been charged with the crimes. However, detectives believe the same suspect committed the burglaries.
Police and church members were not able to recover a sacrament, known as a monstrance. If anyone has information about the location of the monstrance, please contact Detective Carlos Ibarra at Carlos.Ibarra@police.portlandoregon.gov or call (503)823-0950. Please reference case number 24-130958.
