ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Holy Week began Sunday for the Catholic Church. It’s a time for reflection and reverence ahead of Easter.

While it’s a very important week for the church, the priest of Queen of Heaven says he’s spending valuable time dealing with the aftermath after someone broke in and made off with some valuable items.

Church officials told KOB 4 money and a 100-year-old chalice, worth thousands of dollars, were taken. But that was not the only issue the church is dealing with.

While they told us the chalice was important for them, Father Simeon says the person who broke in is likely in need, and he’s asking for the community to keep them in their prayers.

“I asked the people to pray for those people that forged the check and stole the chalice, broke the window, and created the mess. Let’s pray for them, they need help,” said Father Simeon with Queen of Heaven Church.

Simeon is asking for prayers for the criminals who broke in and one who allegedly forged a check in his name.

“Wednesday was the break-in thing. Thursday some other bad news, they came. Friday, we got a call from a bank. They caught one fraudulent check,” said Simeon.

On Monday, Simeon went to the bank to get that issue sorted out.

“I got a hold today of that, looked at it, and it’s definitely my signature copied on a fraudulent check. And they reversed the payments, it was a check over $16,000 to a guy allegedly in New Jersey,” Simeon said. 

Then, last Wednesday, someone broke into the sacristy.

“There was debris all over and broken glass and stuff like that. So, what was missing was, unfortunately, just our chalice that is of quite some value,” said Simeon. 

They also stole about $50 to $60 that was inside a money box. 

But Simeon says they didn’t steal the most valuable item the church has in his eyes: our Lord in the tabernacle, the Blessed Sacrament.

“What are we to complain? Now we have insurance. It’s sad. It is deductible. It’s a hassle, but it’s certainly a test of patience. Should we get too worked up about that? No, no these are material things,” said Simeon. 

In addition to prayers, Simeon is asking the community to be on the lookout for the chalice. It’s silver and plated with gold and has four medallions. It’s worth about $5,000 to $7,000. 

Simeon wanted to emphasize he wants the community to safely be on the lookout.

Anyone with information is asked to call 242-COPS.