PLACERVILLE — The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour was broken into Monday night, according to Reverend Debra Sabino.
What makes the case bizarre is that the items stolen, aside from some audio equipment, have no value outside of the church. They include chalices and patens. The chalices were for the wine considered the blood of Christ and patens are the plates used to serve the bread or body of Christ.
But those items have huge value to the church.
Sabino said the church was the first Episcopal Church built west of the Mississippi when it went up in Placerville back in 1863. Some of the stolen chalices and patens date back to the church’s inception
“And they have names engraved from people back in those days that they were given in memory of from so long ago, who still have families in the area,” Sabino told FOX40.
Sabino believes her church was specifically targeted and the stolen items were meant to send a message. She said her church was recently accused of satanic activity and said she believes salt found around the church’s altar was part of that message.
“It could be tied to somebody thinking that we’ve done something in the past here, which we haven’t, to try to purify the evil from our church and take all of our consecrated vessels and items because of that. So there’s a component that’s very strange and not just a break-in or robbery,” Sabino said.
The Placerville Police Department is investigating.
