Relic stolen from Salt Lake City’s Cathedral of the Madeleine, reward offered for return
Jul 12, 2024, 6:19 PM | Updated: 6:28 pm
The relic of Saint Mary Magdalene was stolen from the Cathedral of the Madeleine on the morning of July 10, 2024. A reward is being offered for its return or information that leads to its return. (Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City)
(Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City)
SALT LAKE CITY — A reward of $1,000 is on offer for the return of a relic stolen from the Cathedral of the Madeleine.
The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City said the theft of the relic of Saint Mary Magdalene was discovered Wednesday morning at approximately 7 a.m.. Cathedral staff found the broken reliquary, where the relic was stored, on the floor beneath the crucifix.
“This was a person looking for something of value to sell,” Father Martin Diaz, rector of the cathedral, said. “It is likely that he picked up the reliquary, but once he got it off the shelf, could not hold it, as it is very heavy. Once it was broken open, he took the one thing that appeared sellable.”
The Salt Lake City Police Department is working to recover the relic, the diocese said.
The reward is for the return of the relic or for information leading to its return. Anyone who has information is asked to contact Fr. Diaz at 602.318.5555.
What is the Saint Mary Magdalene relic?
Diaz told KSL NewsRadio that the relic is a bone fragment of Mary Magdalene herself. It lays on a piece of cloth inside of a holder with a glass front.
“For us, it’s our connection with Saint Mary Magdalene who, of course, walked with Jesus and was the first one to announce the resurrection… It’s a religious connection. It’s a connection to 2000 years of Christianity,” Diaz said.
