Cotabato parish ‘robbed, desecrated’ — diocese

MANILA — The Diocese of Kidapawan has declared the Sta. Teresita del Niño Jesus Parish in M’lang, Cotabato desecrated after unidentified thieves looted sacred vessels and scattered consecrated hosts across the sanctuary floor. 

A photo from the parish shows an open ciborium and its lid on the floor, with fragments and whole consecrated hosts strewn on the ground.

“This heinous violation is not a mere property crime; it is a direct assault on the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, which is the source and summit of our Catholic faith,” Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said in a decree. 

The local church reported the incident to the M’lang police, which is now investigating the break-in.

In accordance with Canon Law, rites, sacraments, and Masses inside the main church building were suspended. Masses will temporarily be held at the Parish Formation House. 

The church building will be spiritually and liturgically restored during a formal penitential rite and Mass of reparation that Bagaforo will lead on October 31, 2026, at 5 p.m., followed by the blessing of the altar and a new tabernacle.

The diocese also called for a period of communal penance, fasting, and devotional actions, including praying the Rosary and the Way of the Cross for the perpetrators.