From the archives: Tabernacle theft from Mayo church 'a most heinous crime'
By Tom Gillespie
FOLLOWING widespread police activity, the Tabernacle, with its sacred contents, which were stolen from Cross Church in June 1947, were recovered by gardaí, and it was learned that a man named William Henry Pack, an Englishman, described as wearing an RAF officer’s uniform, was arrested in Limerick in connection with the sacrilege and handed over to the Dublin authorities.
Cross Church, The Connaught Telegraph reported on June 14, where this most serious crime took place, is situated about three miles from Cong, and the robbery of the Tabernacle took place some time on Monday, June 9, wrote our correspondent who visited the place.
It appeared that Mass was celebrated in Cross Church only on certain days, and on Monday evening when the sacristan noticed the Tabernacle missing he assumed that the local curate had taken it. It was not until Wednesday morning, just as Mass was about to be celebrated, that the theft was discovered.
The matter was at once reported to Guards at Cong, and later Sergeant Ray, with a number of guards as well as detective officers from Castlebar, visited the scene.
In the course of their enquiries and after a thorough search of the district they at last located the Tabernacle and sacred vessels in a field down a bye-road some distance off the main road.
To trace the perpetrator of such a grave sacrilege was a difficult job, so many were the rumours circulating in the district.
Acting on very slender information which they received after sifting through the conflicting stories, the Guards circulated a description of a person seen entering the church and in the vicinity of where the Tabernacle was found, and on Friday night a man answering the description was arrested in Limerick in connection with the affair.
As stated above, his name was William Henry Pack, and it was learned that he was using assumed names while travelling around the country.
It was also learned that Pack was wanted by the English and Irish police on a number of serious charges, but it had not been disclosed so far whether any charges have been preferred against him or whether he will be brought back to Cong to be charged.
It was rumoured in the area that unsuccessful attempts were also made to rob Clonbur and Cong Churches.
After denouncing the grave sacrilege, the parish priest of Cong paid tribute to the gardaí and thanked them publicly for recovering the Tabernacle and apprehending the culprit with such promptness.
Later, in a letter read at all Masses in the various churches of the Archdiocese, his Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Walsh, Archbishop of Tuam, said: “With deepest sorrow and anguish of soul, I have to announce the commission of a most heinous crime - the first of its kind, I think, to be committed within the confines of this diocese.
“Some days ago the Tabernacle, with its contents, were forcibly removed from the church at Cross. There is no need to remind any Catholics of the gravity of this dread sin of sacrilege, and all will share in a feeling of utter detestation.
“In this sad hour, while each one will try to make atonement in his own way to the wounded Heart of Jesus, it might be well if each priest would indicate to the people some of the ways in which all can join in making reparation.
“You will therefore kindly have announcements made that Sunday, June 15, is fixed as a day of penance and atonement throughout the diocese. All the faithful are exhorted to go to Confession and Holy Communion, and to offer the Mass of June 15th as a special Mass of reparation. In each church solemn Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament will be held and will continue with Holy Hour.”
The following week (June 21) The Connaught Telegraph published a sequel to the sacrilege as follows:
The larceny of the Tabernacle and Ciborium from Cross Church, which was reported last week, had a sequel in Dublin during the week when a man named William Robert Henry Pack was charged in connection with the outrageous sacrilege.
The defendant Pack, who appeared in the battle-dress blouse of a British naval engineer, was also charged with larceny, on May 19, at Baggot Lane, Dublin, of a motor car, the property of Dr. Patrick Nyhan, 69 Northumberland Road.
On August 23 The Connaught Telegraph reported that the Englishman, William Robert Henry Pack (28), was returned for trial.
In a statement made on July 5, Pack said: “I now wish to say that the tabernacle I had in the car with me in Mayo and which had a cross on it, and which I could not open, was taken by me from the altar in a church in Mayo. I took the tabernacle by myself and no person was with me. I threw this tabernacle away in a field.”
Unfortunately, despite extensive research, I was unable to find out what penalty was imposed on Pack.