Czech police have recovered an 800-year-old reliquary stolen from a church in northern Bohemia and arrested the suspect who had already encased the relic in concrete and was preparing to dump it into a river.
Stolen Relic of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk Recovered
Authorities announced on Friday, 15 May 2026, that they had located the ornate reliquary containing the skull of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk — a venerated medieval Czech saint who lived from 1220 to 1252. The relic was stolen on 12 May from the Basilica of St. Lawrence and St. Zdislava in Jablonné v Podještědí, about 110 km north of Prague.
Surveillance footage released by police shows a man dressed entirely in black carrying what officials confirmed was the reliquary as he fled between the basilica’s chapels. Low-resolution images circulated after the theft depicted the suspect wearing black clothing and white shoes.
Confession and Motive
The 35-year-old suspect, arrested on 14 May in Mladá Boleslav in central Czechia, confessed to the theft. According to Police Chief Petr Rojt, the man objected to the relic’s display in a side chapel of the basilica and intended to seal it in concrete before discarding it in a river.
“We know he planned to throw it into the river today — his way of getting rid of it,” Rojt said. “Had we not arrested him in time, the reliquary would likely never have been found.”
Investigators confirmed the man had already coated the skull in cement. Specialists are now working carefully to extract the relic intact and safely.
How the Theft Was Carried Out
The suspect broke into the church just before Mass, taking advantage of a brief deactivation window in the alarm system. He shattered the glass reliquary case inside the sanctuary, removed the skull, and fled. Initially, he refused to disclose where he’d hidden it — only revealing its location after his arrest.
Inspector Jan Ujka confirmed the suspect pleaded guilty and faces multiple charges, including aggravated theft. He has been remanded in custody pending trial. Despite having no prior criminal record, he could receive up to eight years in prison if convicted.
Saint Zdislava of Lemberk was renowned for her charity toward the poor and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1995.