Police in the Czech Republic have recovered the stolen skull relic of St. Zdislava of Lemberk, bringing an end to a time of anxiety for Catholics across the country after a theft that stunned pilgrims and clergy alike.
The relic was taken May 12 from the Basilica of St. Lawrence and St. Zdislava in Jablonné v Podještědí, one of the Czech Republic’s most important pilgrimage sites. According to police, a man slipped into the church moments before evening Mass, smashed the glass reliquary, and escaped within seconds, carrying the saint’s skull.
As read in the article by Katarzyna Szalajko for OSV News, authorities announced May 15 that the relic had been recovered after investigators found it encased in concrete. Experts are now working to safely remove the skull and determine whether it suffered damage.
Police spokeswoman Ivana Baláková said the suspect, a 35-year-old man now in custody, was not motivated by money. Investigators said he believed the saint’s remains “would not find peace there” if publicly displayed in the basilica. Police say he intended to throw the relic into a river before arranging a private burial.
The theft unfolded with startling speed. Security footage reportedly captured a dark-clad figure shattering two layers of protective glass before fleeing. Father Štepán Filip, a Dominican priest serving at the basilica, told local media the entire incident lasted only seconds. The alarm system near the reliquary had been turned off because Mass was about to begin.
Before the relic was recovered, Father Filip urged the faithful to pray for its safe return, noting the skull’s fragility and age.
In the Czech Republic, devotion to St. Zdislava has endured despite decades of secularization. Archbishop Stanislav Pribyl, recently installed as archbishop of Prague after serving the Diocese of Litoměřice, called the theft “devastating news,” emphasizing the relic’s historical and spiritual significance.
Born around 1220 into a noble Bohemian family, St. Zdislava married and raised four children while living a life of intense charity. Associated with the Dominican order as a lay member, she cared personally for the sick, supported religious communities, and founded a hospital. She became known as the “Mother of the Poor,” and devotion to her spread quickly after her death in 1252.
St. John Paul II canonized her in 1995 in Olomouc, praising her witness to holiness within marriage and family life. Her shrine continues to draw pilgrims from across Central Europe, many praying for healing, children, and strength in family life.
The timing of the theft intensified the shock for local Catholics, coming just weeks before her May 30 feast day celebrations.
