#EU #France – The Archdiocese of Tours reported that three Catholic churches in its jurisdiction had been targeted by thefts, vandalism, and desecration in late July 2026. Officials announced that Masses of reparation would be celebrated at the affected sites.
The incidents began on July 22. At Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc Church in Tours, intruders forced open or ripped out the offering boxes overnight and stole the donations. They also attempted to force the tabernacle but failed. The parish priest was alerted in the early hours and a complaint was filed the following day.
The same day in nearby Luynes, at Sainte-Geneviève Church, an offering box—described as a heavy metal model—was stolen during daylight hours. A parishioner discovered the theft in the evening after noticing a rear door left open. Authorities estimated the box had contained about €150. A complaint was also lodged.
The most severe incident occurred overnight from July 26 to 27 at Saint-Symphorien Church in Chambray-lès-Tours. Intruders forced a door to gain entry. They moved sacred objects, candles, and collection boxes, searched the sacristy, opened the tabernacle, and scattered consecrated hosts on the floor. Human excrement was found inside the church near a door. No significant theft was immediately confirmed, but the diocese filed a police complaint.
In a July 28 statement, the Archdiocese of Tours said the three churches in Chambray-lès-Tours, Luynes, and Tours had been “targeted by malicious individuals.” It detailed that offering boxes had been looted and damaged, doors forced open, sacred vessels damaged, a tabernacle forced open, and the Blessed Sacrament desecrated. The diocese described the events as “painful and hurtful” for the Catholic community and said they revealed “disturbing forms of violence, a lack of culture, and a lack of civility” in society.
Michel Lamy, mayor of Chambray-lès-Tours, condemned the desecration of the local church. He stated that the acts filled him with deep indignation and were unacceptable, adding that nothing could justify an attack on a place of worship or the heritage it represented for residents. He offered full support to the parish community and the priest.
No arrests had been reported in connection with the incidents at the time of the diocesan statement. Similar attacks, including forced tabernacles and thefts of the Blessed Sacrament, had occurred at multiple churches in the same archdiocese in November 2024.
Image: Blessed Hosts found on the floor with the tabernacle wide open at Chambray-lès-Tours on July 27th, 2026.
