The Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri has raised concern over a break-in at St. Mulumba Parish, during which a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament was stolen.
The Archdiocesan Chancellor and Secretary, Patrick C. Mbarah, disclosed the incident in a letter addressed to priests, religious, and the laity of the archdiocese. He described the act as a desecration of the Chapel of Adoration and announced a one-week prayer of reparation.
According to the statement, unidentified individuals reportedly took advantage of rainfall in the early hours of Wednesday, April 29, 2026, to carry out the break-in. The perpetrators were said to have opened parts of the roof, gained access through the ceiling, and made away with the sacred vessel.
Reacting to the incident, the Archbishop of Owerri, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, directed members of the parish to observe a one-week prayer of reparation from May 1 to May 8, 2026, between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily.
He also instructed all priests within the archdiocese to strictly adhere to established norms governing the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Eucharistic adoration to prevent a recurrence. The directive emphasised that the Blessed Sacrament must never be left unattended during exposition.
The letter further noted that exposition should only take place when a sufficient number of the faithful are present, in line with Church regulations.
The Archdiocese said the incident has been reported by the Parish Priest, Raymond Madu, while efforts are expected to be made to address the situation and prevent future occurrences.
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