An unknown thief snatched the 800-year-old skull believed to be of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk from a display box in a church in the northern Czech Republic and ran away with the relic, the Police of the Czech Republic said in a Tuesday statement.
Based on the investigation conducted so far, police have determined that the crime occurred between 6:00 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.
A fuzzy security camera photo showed a man dressed in black wearing light colored shoes with what police said was the skull of Zdislava of Lemberk in his hands running between the benches in the Saint Lawrence and Saint Zdislava basilica in Jablonne v Podjestedi, 110 km north of Prague, on Tuesday.
Police had originally identified the suspect as a man but a spokeswoman later said that they were not sure and were evaluating material from the security camera.
In its statement, police have urged the public to reach out with any information that may aid them in locating the thief and the skull.
Additionally, while the monetary value of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk’s skull is currently being reviewed, police note that its historical value is “incalculable.”
“This is devastating news,” Prague Archbishop Stanislav Pribyl told news agency CTK. “The skull was revered by pilgrims who traveled to Jablonné, where St. Zdislava lived and worked more than 750 years ago.”
“I cannot believe that someone practically in broad daylight steals from church a relic whose value is above all historical and also spiritual for believers.”
Saint Zdislava of Lemberk was born on January 1, 1220, and died 32 years later, on January 1, 1252. She was known for her generosity and work for the poor.
She was was beatified by Pope Pius X in 1907 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in the Czech Republic in 1995.
She is believed to have been an incredibly pious child, giving charity from a young age. At seven, she is told to have run away from home to pursue the life of a hermit in penence and prayer in the forest before being found by her family.
At the age of 15, she was forced, against her wishes, to marry nobleman Havel of Markvartice, who owned Lemberk Castle, where her name comes from. Together, they had four children.
Havel is described to have had an incredible temper, but despite this, Zdislava continued to give charity until her death.
