$2 million gold relic from an NYC church is stolen

Last week, a "irreplaceable" pure gold relic inside a historic Brooklyn church was taken, according to AP News.
Between May 26 and 28, the culprits broke into St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church, also known as Park Slope's "Notre Dame." They made off with a $2 million tabernacle constructed of 18-carat gold and adorned with gems from the 19th century.
The theft was found on Saturday by Father Frank Tumino, the pastor of St. Augustine, according to the New York Times.
The tabernacle, which was designed to house Holy Communion materials, was said to have its own "burglar-proof" security system, which comprised an electronic safe and inch-thick steel plates. A power saw was allegedly used to cut through the steel plates.



According to the diocese's statement, the destruction continued throughout the church, with neighboring angel statues being beheaded and materials from the stolen tabernacle being dumped onto the altar.
During the incident, which occurred between Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon while the church was closed for construction, security camera footage were also stolen. The investigation is still underway, according to police, and it's unclear whether one or many people were involved.