July 5: Some sacred loot found in box in archbishop's closet

Last update: July 3, 2008 - 10:50 AM

Forget the power of prayer -- this was just a hunch.

An official of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis discovered Wednesday that bejeweled crosses and rings worn by local archbishops for more than a century weren't stolen in the burglary of Archbishop John Nienstedt's residence.

A cardboard box with the items was found inside the archbishop's bedroom closet.

The Rev. Lee Piche, vicar general of the archdiocese, found them after deciding to give the room one final sweep, said Dennis McGrath, spokesman for the archdiocese. Piche opted to look again after wondering how the thief or thieves could have hauled out a safe and a box of religious treasures.

Among the pieces feared missing was a pectoral cross worn by John Ireland, the first archbishop of St. Paul and a civic leader. But that cross and five others -- as well as four bishop's rings -- were in individually labelled envelopes inside the box.

"But they're not going to be there in the future," McGrath said.

Still missing, however, is a 75-pound safe, and crosses and rings that were given to Nienstedt by cardinals he had served in his native Detroit.

The investigation into the burglary continues, police spokesman Peter Panos said.

It's funny how things can get lost in a closet, Panos said.

"Easily missed, I think," he said.

ANTHONY LONETREE