Relic stolen from Madeleine Cathedral in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY — A $1,000 reward is being offered for the return of a relic stolen from the Madeleine Cathedral.

The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City said the theft of the relic of St. Mary Magdalene was discovered around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning. Cathedral staff found the broken reliquary, where the relic was kept, on the floor beneath the crucifix.

“He was a person looking for something of value to sell,” said Father Martin Diaz, rector of the cathedral. “It is likely that he picked up the reliquary, but once he removed it from the shelf, he could not hold it because it was very heavy. Once the reliquary was opened, he took the only object that seemed to be able to be sold.”

The Salt Lake City Police Department is working to recover the relic, the diocese said.

The reward is for the return of the relic or for any information leading to its return. Anyone with information is asked to contact Father Diaz at 602.318.5555.

What is the relic of Saint Mary Magdalene?

Diaz told KSL NewsRadio that the relic is a bone fragment from Mary Magdalene herself. It rests on a piece of cloth inside a holder with a glass front.

“For us, it’s our connection to St. Mary Magdalene who, of course, walked with Jesus and was the first to announce the resurrection… It’s a religious connection. It’s a connection to 2,000 years of Christianity,” Diaz said.