Nazju Falzon reliquary stolen

A reliquary containing remains of Blessed Nazju Falzon has been stolen from St Paul's Shipwreck church in Valletta.

The reliquary was made of antique Maltese silver and had recently been restored, parish priest Alfred Camilleri said when contacted. A wreath made of ganutel and added to the reliquary recently was also stolen.

Remains of Blessed Nazju Falzon can be found in many churches in Malta, but the one at St Paul's, which was a piece of bone, was among the largest because Nazju Falzon was from Valletta and used to pray in that church every day, Fr Camilleri said.

The reliquary was in an enclosed glass box attached to a wooden altar in the chapel of St Theresa. The box was pulled out from the altar and emptied, an operation which Fr Camilleri said was "not easy".

The theft was discovered on Saturday afternoon by Fr Camilleri as he checked the collection boxes in the church. Helpers remembered cleaning the reliquary on Thursday. There were no signs of a break-in in the church.

Duty magistrate Giovanni Grixti appointed court experts to hold an inquiry.