Break-in at Historic Barcelona Church

The Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's regional police, are investigating a break-in at the sanctuary of Santa Eulàlia de Vilapicina in Barcelona’s Nou Barris district. The burglary occurred on Monday, 10 August 2026, at 11:15 AM, according to official confirmation to El Periódico. The sanctuary, located opposite Virrei Amat square, was found vandalised after a neighbour raised the alarm. Police confirmed no arrests have been made, and a formal complaint is pending.

Damage and Stolen Items

According to Betevé, thieves took the crown of the Mare de Déu de les Neus and caused extensive damage inside the church. The altar door was ripped off, the feather from the image of Santa Eulàlia was left on the floor, and the altarpiece of Sant Martí de Porres was torn down but not removed. The Grup Clara Eulàlies association, which organises masses at the sanctuary, said the vandals likely expected valuable items but found only simple, low-value objects. Assumpta Cendra, pastoral coordinator, stated: "No hi ha ni or ni plata, tot és molt senzill" – translated as "There is no gold or silver, everything is very simple, very Franciscan."

Suppose the thieves thought they would find pieces of great value and found a wooden paten with no worth.

The group is now working to repair the damage and file a police report. They aim to restore the sanctuary by 30 August for the next Eucharist service.

Rising Trend of Church Thefts

This incident adds to a growing number of burglaries at religious sites in Barcelona. The Mossos have recorded eight forced break-ins at religious centres between January and mid-June 2026. Since 2024, there have been 13 such cases in that year and 15 in 2025, amounting to 36 recorded break-ins over 30 months, primarily targeting Catholic parishes. The church of Santa Eulàlia de Vilapicina, a neoclassical temple built in 1781 and reopened for worship in 1969 after Civil War damage, is listed as a cultural asset of local interest. It remains the oldest historical nucleus of the area.

Reported by elperiodico.com, Alma Rodelgo Llasat, beteve.cat, LGI, Meritxell M. Pauné, Javier Ruiz Arregui, Gerardo Santos, vymaps.com, El Periódico, Maria Pentinat, El Periódico Barcelona.