M’LANG, Cotabato — The Diocese of Kidapawan has officially declared Sta. Teresita del Niño Jesus Parish desecrated after unidentified individuals broke into the church, robbed its tabernacle, and left consecrated Eucharistic Hosts on the sanctuary floor in an incident that has prompted the suspension of all Masses and sacramental celebrations inside the main church building.
The incident occurred on October 25, 2026, and was formally addressed by Bishop Jose Colin M. Bagaforo, D.D., in a decree dated October 26. The bishop described the incident as a grave act of sacrilege, citing the violation of the Catholic Church’s sacred space and the desecration of the Blessed Sacrament, which Catholics believe to be the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
The incident has left the parish community confronting both a criminal intrusion into its place of worship and a profound religious offense. The diocese stressed that the act was not merely a case of stolen church property but a violation with serious spiritual significance under Catholic teaching and canon law.
All Masses suspended inside main church
Invoking Canon 1211 of the Code of Canon Law and the applicable liturgical regulations, Bishop Bagaforo ordered the immediate suspension of all sacred rites, sacraments, and Masses inside the main church building until a formal Penitential Rite and Mass of Reparation have been celebrated.
The suspension does not mean that all parish worship has stopped. Scheduled weekday Masses will temporarily be held at the Parish Formation House at their usual times, according to the parish announcement.
The bishop also directed the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Edward C. Bacus, DCK, to remove the customary decorations from the main altar, including flowers and decorative lights, as a visible expression of communal mourning and penance.
If fragments of the consecrated Hosts remain, they must be collected with the utmost reverence, completely dissolved in water, and poured into the sacrarium, a special receptacle used in the church’s liturgical practice.
The parish priest is likewise instructed to arrange additional opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation outside the main church building while the community prepares for the prescribed rite of reparation.
Bishop to lead Mass of Reparation on October 31
The diocese has scheduled the formal Penitential Rite and Mass of Reparation for October 31, 2026, at 5 p.m. Bishop Bagaforo will personally preside over the ceremony.
The liturgy will include the blessing of the church building, the altar, and a new tabernacle before regular religious services inside the main church can resume.
The reparation rite is a formal liturgical response to the desecration under the Catholic Church’s disciplinary and canonical framework. It is intended to express repentance, restore the sacred character of the church for liturgical use, and renew the community’s reverence for the Eucharist.
In his decree, the bishop called on parishioners to undertake prayer, fasting, and other acts of penance. The faithful were particularly encouraged to pray the Rosary and participate in the Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross, while asking for the conversion of those responsible.
Investigation underway
In a letter to parishioners, Fr. Bacus said the incident had been reported to the bishop and that the parish administration was coordinating with local law enforcement authorities for the investigation.
As of the information contained in the parish letter and the bishop’s decree, the identities of the perpetrators, the items taken from the tabernacle, and any possible arrests or charges had not been disclosed. The circumstances surrounding the break-in and the full extent of the loss also remain subject to investigation.
The diocese has directed the parish administration to cooperate fully with authorities as they work to establish what happened and identify those responsible.
The incident raises immediate concerns over the security of the parish church and the protection of religious objects and sacred spaces. However, no specific security failure or motive has been established in the documents issued by the parish and diocese.
Parish urged to respond through prayer, not hatred
Despite the gravity of the incident, the parish leadership has urged the faithful to resist anger and respond through prayer, humility, repentance, and renewed devotion to Jesus Christ.
In his pastoral letter, Fr. Bacus expressed sorrow over the desecration and called on parishioners to keep the community in their prayers during what he described as a deeply painful period.
Bishop Bagaforo, meanwhile, entrusted the wounded parish community to the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary and expressed hope that those responsible would come to repentance and conversion.
The suspension of liturgical celebrations inside the main church and the scheduled Mass of Reparation underscore the seriousness with which the Catholic Church treats the desecration of a sacred place and the Blessed Sacrament.
For the Sta. Teresita del Niño Jesus Parish community in M’lang, the immediate challenge is twofold: to cooperate in the pursuit of accountability for the reported robbery and to recover spiritually from an incident that has deeply wounded the faithful.
The parish’s regular liturgical activities inside the main church will remain suspended until the prescribed rite of reparation is completed on October 31.