The church of Saint-Didier Bruyeres-le-Chatel, about twenty kilometres west of Evry, in Essonne was vandalized during the night of Saturday to Sunday 31 January as the laity opening the church on Sunday morning found.
“The tabernacle was forced open and the consecrated communion wafers it contained were stolen from the ciborium. This has shaken me,” says P. Christian Remond who was to celebrate the Eucharist in the building classified as a historical monument.
“The sacristy was ransacked after the sturdy old door had been smashed”, he added, “a chalice and a ciborium were also stolen.” However, a valuable painting and a worthless monstrance, were left untouched.
Bishop Michel Dubost of Evry denounced “a real attack against the Catholic Church” in comments reported by Le Parisien. A statement received differently by the parishioners.
“It is the symbol of the sacred that has been affected. There is a will to cause damage,” the bishop also believed.
[Translated by Act for freedom now]
