BACOLOR -- The San Guillermo Parish Church here is set to reopen this Thursday following the recovery of its stolen Blessed Sacrament.
However, parishioners would need to atone for the theft as they are expected to join a "walk of atonement" this Thursday. Parishioners are enjoined to join the barefoot procession from San Vicente Chapel after the 6:00 am mass all the way to the parish church.
A parishioner of the church who requested not to be named, told Sun.Star Pampanga that Archbishop Florentino Lavarias has reportedly ordered the reopening of the church and the lifting of the suspension of masses.
“It will be in time for the Christmas novena masses but the penance and atonement will continue,” the parishioner said.
The earlier reportedly stolen Blessed Sacrament of the historic San Guillermo Parish in Bacolor town has been recovered near the area but the monstrance containing it still remains missing.
The Blessed Sacrament is the devotional name of the sacramental bread that Catholics believe, when consecrated, to be the actual body of Jesus Christ.
The Blessed Sacrament was allegedly found discarded by the thieves who took the monstrance. The monstrance is said to be made of gold approximately worth $2,500.
Among Catholics, desecration of the Holy Eucharist is considered as one of the gravest sins. Intentional host desecration is not only a mortal sin but also incurs the penalty of excommunication.
It could be remembered that its monstrance (ostensorium or ostensory) containing the Holy Eucharist was stolen by a still unidentified suspect between Friday evening to Saturday morning last week.
Father Manny Sta. Maria, San Guillermo Parish Priest, said that on Saturday morning, an altar boy helping to prepare for the 6:00 am mass discovered that the steel door leading to the area where the monstrance is kept was destroyed and forcibly opened.
“We found out that the monstrance was missing so I had to cancel the 6 am mass. Without it and the Holy Eucharist, we couldn’t celebrate mass and even the Misa de Gallo. We’re still waiting for the action of Archbishop [Florentino] Dong Lavarias on this,” he said.
Sta. Maria added the suspect may have been tempted to steal the monstrance as it is made of gold. “The monstrance is relatively new but made of gold. Kaya siguro natukso siyang nakawin ito,” the priest said.
Sta. Maria said parishioners hearing masses at the San Guillermo Church will have to make sacrifices and pray.
“We will have to make sacrifices and atone for its theft,” Sta. Maria said. (Sunnex)