$2m tabernacle stolen from New York City Catholic church, police say

Brooklyn diocese calls it a crime of disrespect and hate' and says gold relic is irreplaceable because of its historical and artistic value

Police say someone has broken into the altar at a New York City church, stole a $2m gold relic and removed the head from a statue of an angel.

The incident happened between 6.30pm last Thursday and 4pm on Saturday, the police said on Monday, at St Augustine's Roman Catholic church, known as the Notre Dame" of Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood.