Relics of Fatima child saints stolen from Italian church

MILAN – The relics of two Fatima child saints have been stolen from a church in Verona while they were traveling on a pilgrimage tour in Italy.

The Rev. Andrea Ronconi said Thursday that small pieces of clothing belonging to the Portuguese shepherd children made saints in 2017 were stolen Wednesday. Police were looking for two suspects.

Ronconi, priest at the Jesus Christ Divine Worker parish, said he was "heartbroken and mortified" by the theft, which also included copies of a crown and rosary of the Fatima Virgin Mary statue.

Francisco and Jacinta Marto, who reported visions of the Virgin Mary more than 100 years ago, were declared saints on May 13, 2017. The Portuguese town of Fatima has become one of the world's most important Catholic shrines.