Burglars robbed the home of the leader of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, getting away with gem- and precious-metal-laden rings and crosses.
"These things are historically and reverentially irreplaceable," the archdiocese spokesman, Dennis McGrath, said Monday. "They're beyond value."
The thief or thieves early Saturday climbed onto a first-floor roof and then broke into a second-story window of Archbishop John Nienstedt's home, police spokesman Peter Panos said.
"These guys were pros," he said. "The glass they broke through is like three or four inches thick. They couldn't get through without a sledgehammer. They executed a well-thought-out plan. They knew exactly where to go in his bedroom."
Believed to be missing, in addition to the rings and crosses, were rosaries and a small safe, McGrath said, adding: "It's like a historical treasure trove, if you will."
Nienstedt was in Rome at the time of the theft.
Source: AP News
