A seaport chapel in Karachi has planned a special mass to consecrate century-old church vessels recently recovered from a robbery.

The antiques that were partially damaged are now being restored.

“Each chalice is worth more than 40,000 rupees (US$ 465) but it’s not about the price,” the parish priest of the Sacred Heart church, Father Inderias Rehmat, said.

Three chalices, three patens, an incense pot along with other church equipment were stolen while the parish priest was out of town.

“It took one month to complete legal requirements and claim the objects, which remained in police custody. We experienced the same difficulties a common person faces in getting justice,” Father Rehmat said.

Archbishop Evarist Pinto will preside over the All Saints’ Day Mass on Nov. 1 to bless the holy articles stolen in June 2010 from.

They were recovered when one of the robbers, a Muslim teenager, was apprehended last month. The culprit had also stolen ceiling fans from the Catholic school in the Sacred Heart Church compound.

“For four months we borrowed chalices and a sound system from the nearby St. Anthony’s Catholic Church,” said choir leader Asif Bashir.

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