Cross stolen, then returned to N.S. church
A century-old cross that was stolen from a church in Digby, N.S., was returned, undamaged, in a Christmas Eve miracle, says the town’s mayor.
The cross, made of brass, and featuring a jewel in the centre, vanished from Trinity Anglican Church in the town of 2,000 people in southwestern Nova Scotia, about two hours from Halifax, sometime between noon on Dec. 23 and the morning of Dec. 24, police said.
But that evening, “a woman brought the undamaged cross to the church and gave it to an employee,” said an RCMP news release. Mounties had responded to a break-and-enter call shortly after 10 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
“I guess it is kind of a miracle, isn’t it?” said Digby Mayor Ben Cleveland.
Details, though, remain hazy, in the theft and recovery of the iconic altar cross.
“Why it was taken, why it was returned, who knows, really,” said Cleveland.
The church is a provincial and national historic site. It was built in 1878, an example of Gothic revival architecture, says the church’s website, and replaced the original church built by Loyalist settlers in 1788.
“The unique thing about that church is it’s built like a boat, upside down,” Cleveland said.
As for the cross, said the mayor, “the exact details aren’t known as to who gave it and exactly how old it is” but he said the congregation was “in shock” when they realized the altar cross had gone missing.
It’s still not exactly clear what happened: A Facebook post circulating in the community says the cross was found behind the Sobeys in town, which is about a kilometre away from the church, and then returned.
“As we would say, ‘just over the hill’ from the church, so, within walking distance,” said Cleveland. “Maybe someone had a moment of repentance.”
As yet, the police aren’t able to confirm details of the cross’s recovery.
RCMP Sgt. Andrew Joyce said there was little available information because the theft was still under investigation. Joyce said investigators were told the cross had been found, but he was not able to say where it was found, or provide a possible motive for its theft.
“It was said to be found, but we’re yet to confirm exactly where it was found,” Joyce told the Post in a brief interview. “It’s an unusual event, that’s for sure.”