Nov 12, 2008 9:50 pm US/Eastern
Parishioners Tackle Man Who Stole Communion Wafers
Bloggers Blast Church - Claim Indifference To Homeless
JENSEN BEACH, FLORIDA (CBS4) ―
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The suspect tried to leave the church after grabbing the communion wafers, but offended parishioners stood in his way.
CBS
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Several parishioners tackled a man to the ground after he tried to take a handful of communion wafers from a priest during services.
James Robinson/CBS/CBS
A Catholic Church in Jensen Beach is on the defensive after several parishioners tackled and held down a man who tried to steal a handful of communion wafers.
During a mass last Saturday John Samuel Ricci, 33, was cornered after he grabbed a handful of communion wafers from the priest during the services.
According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office, Ricci was being held down by six or seven offended parishioners when deputies arrived at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church. Police say two parishioners, ages 82 and 61, received minor injuries in the scuffle.
After word of the arrest got out, several blogs blasted the church and its parishioners. They claimed Ricci was homeless and was only trying to take what he saw as food. They went on to criticize those involved for being indifferent to the plight of the homeless.
Father James Malgano said Ricci wasn't hungry and that the whole incident started because he wouldn't consume the host.
"As we tell each Communicant, this is the body of Christ," said Molgano, "They respond with Amen, then step aside and consume the sacrament."
Molgano said Ricci was acting strange and when he accepted the consecrated Host he refused to eat it. The priest offered again and still Ricci refused and then became upset.
"The man reached for the priest's vesture and started pulling it to rip it off then reached into the vessel and pulled up a fist full of Sacraments and threw them to the floor," said Molgano.
Ricci then reportedly began to curse. Offended parishioners rushed to the man and pinned him to the ground until police arrived. Molgano said he could understand their actions.
"An attack on a priest is an attack on Christ himself," said Molgano.
In a letter to the editor of the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, Father Molgano defended the church and its parishioners' actions:
I am writing to respond to the article regarding the man who disrupted Mass in our Church on Saturday morning. The article described the incident as an "attempt to steal a handful of communion wafers from the priest". It is important to understand that the "handful of communion wafers" was in actuality the Body of Christ and, by attempting to steal some and throw the remainder on the floor, the incident became so much more than simply theft. It was desecration of the Eucharist, of Christ Himself. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says "The Eucharist is 'the source and summit of Christian Life.'…in the Blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch" (part 2 section 2 chapter 1 article 3 paragraph 1324). Our parishioners were right to be "enraged and offended" as the very Essence of our faith was attacked. Furthermore, our people are well aware of the existence of satanic cults in the local area that require consecrated Hosts for their rituals.
We have just begun to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Diocese of Palm Beach. The theme of our Anniversary celebration is "A Eucharistic People." Part of the prayer for our Anniversary states, "…May we continue to share in that life of faith, hope and love, with each other and especially with the poor, the weak and the defenseless among us. Pour out your blessing upon us, rich in ethnic diversity, but one Body of Christ." As a Eucharistic people, we ask you to join with us in prayer for the spiritual healing of the assailant and for the recovery of the parishioners who were injured in this heinous attack. Rev. James E. Molgano
Ricci was charged with two counts of simple battery, theft and disruption of a religious assembly. He's being held on $2,000 bond at the Martin County Jail.
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