St Mary’s: Vandals’ R100k crime spree wrecks iconic Cape Town cathedral

Religious representatives in Cape Town have been left in a state of shock, after the iconic St Mary’s Cathedral was vandalised over the weekend. As well as seeing a number of items stolen, there was criminal damage done to vital structures within the church during this desecration.

The 170-year-old St Mary's Cathedral in the Cape Town CBD has been burgled and valuables stolen. Thieves also vandalized television sets mounted on the walls and ripped carpets off the floor. #sabcnews

— SAfm news (@SAfmnews) April 19, 2020

What was stolen during the crime spree?

Diane Kohler-Barnard, the shadow state security minister, has labelled the incident as “breathtakingly awful”. It’s estimated that over R100 000 worth of damage was done to the sacred site, as a number of religious artefacts were also swiped by the heartless thieves.

The St Mary’s Cathedral Parish issued a statement on their social media pages over the weekend. They have urged people to get in touch with the police if they have any information about the incident:

“The Cathedral was broken into and desecrated roughly in the early hours of Saturday 18th April. There were a number of things that were stolen such as the tabernacle, ciboriums, pyx, silver candelabras, microphones, two patens, chalice and money.”

“If anyone tries to sell you any of these things or if you have any information please contact the South African Police Service or the Dean of the Cathedral on 021 462 2586 immediately and report it.”

St Mary’s Cathedral

Religious community shaken by St Mary’s desecration

Archdiocese of Cape Town, Bishop Sylvester David OMI, has asked the local community to join their prayers:

“Although we are victims in this case, reparation has to be done and so we request all the faithful in the Archdiocese to join in with the Cathedral parishioners and to engage in the prayer which will soon be sent out to the Parish priests for distribution.”

“It is important that the entire local Church engages in this as the Cathedral is the Mother church. This prayer does not replace other daily prayers, but supplements them.”

Bishop Sylvester David OMI on the vandalism at St Mary’s

St Mary's Cathedral opposite Parliament has been burgled. Valuables from the church were stolen. Imagine ?? pic.twitter.com/YzupPOyTRn

— SongezoMazizi® (@songezomazizi) April 20, 2020