The skull of a saint has been stolen from a French church, prompting the mayor to say that thieves—not rural parish churches—should be locked up.
The relic, consisting of the skull and bones of fourth-century Saint Vivent, had been kept in the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in the western town of Les Sables d’Olonne before being stolen on December 18.
According to The Tablet, the mayor of Les Sables d’Olonne, Nicolas Chénéchaud, responded to calls to lock the church by saying: “It is not our peaceful churches that should be closed, but these barbarians who should be locked up.”
Thefts from rural French churches have become more common in recent years, largely because parishes cannot afford more secure—but costly—electronic security systems.
Such churches have become easy targets for thieves, who often steal “valuable liturgical or artistic heritage” before defacing the property with defamatory statements.
Speaking to Aleteia, parish priest Fr. Antoine Nouwavi suggested the theft may have occurred after the relics were featured in a parish newsletter, adding: “We can imagine motives linked to spiritualism or occult practices,” which he described as “chilling.”
Saint Vivent is credited with evangelizing the town of Les Sables d’Olonne after fleeing his hometown in Syria and landing on France’s western coast. His remains had been housed in the church since 1937, having been returned after a long absence.
“Our churches have become very popular places, but not always for the right reasons,” Fr. Antoine said.
France ranks as the country with the highest number of anti-Christian acts, according to a 2024 survey by the European Centre for Law and Justice, with approximately 770 cases of religious crime reported that year.