In Germany, relics of Saint Martin stolen from a Catholic church

The Catholic Church of Saint Martin in Neuss-Holzheim, Germany. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In the early hours of July 30, 2026, unknown individuals broke into the Catholic Church of Saint Martin in Neuss-Holzheim and stole the relics of Saint Martin of Tours. This was reported by the German portal katholisch.de.

The perpetrators entered the church through a side entrance, smashed the glass in front of the altar, and took the shrine stored there. They also stole a prayer book, which was later found under a car several blocks from the church.

Blood stains were found on the altar after the robbery. It is believed that one or more of the perpetrators may have sustained injuries during the break-in. Parish priest Andreas Süss stated that the material damage was relatively minor; however, for the church community, the theft of the relics was a profound spiritual loss.

«For us, as a parish, it is unimaginable how anyone could break into a church. It seems there is a complete absence of respect for the house of God», – said the clergyman. Following the incident, he intends to re-consecrate the altar, and the parish leadership will consider the possibility of strengthening security measures.

This is not the first attack on the church. In January 2023, unknown individuals broke into the sacristy, damaged the doors, and stole sacred objects. Several months later, a ciborium and several chalices were found on the roof of a garage in a neighboring town.

Previously, the Union of Orthodox Journalists reported that an unknown individual beheaded a statue of Christ in a Catholic church in New York.

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