|
Friday, October 18, 2002
Pall of doom envelops Guihulngan Catholics
By Jimmy P. Abayon
GUIHULNGAN -- A pall of doom hangs in this northern town of Negros Oriental following the still unresolved theft of the monstrance belonging to the Nuestra Señora de Buen Suceso Church by unknown person or persons early this month.
The monstrance is a vessel of gold and silver in which the consecrated Host is exposed to the congregation of Roman Catholics for veneration.
Mayor Cesar Macalua of Guihulngan has directed the local police force to hunt down the thief or thieves of the holy object, but so far, nothing has come out of the investigation.
The Roman Catholic Church in Guihulngan, which is under the Diocese of San Carlos City, warned of possible catastrophe and has appealed to whoever took the vessel to return it to prevent a temporary closure of the church in the next few months.
Investigators earlier ruled out from the list of suspects a young boy who claimed seeing the holy object stashed inside a sack and thrown into the sea.
They believed the boy could not have pried open the top portion of the monstrance using a chisel
The investigators said that the thief could be someone who knows the value of the golden monstrance and who has worked in the town's main church that stands in front of the town plaza.
A Catholic faithful told Sun.Star that it is the usual practice of the church to close down its doors six months after a stolen holy object is not recovered. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
