Waukesha police: Chalices stolen from Catholic church FOUND in Milwaukee; 2 arrested

WAUKESHA -- Waukesha police have located two chalices that were stolen from a Catholic church on January 16th.

The chalices were stolen from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on East Avenue near Arcadian Avenue.

Police responded to the church around 5:00 a.m. on January 16th after staff members arrived at the church and noticed a safe containing the chalices had been stolen.

The suspect(s) fled prior to police arrival.

Police say over the weekend, leads were established and officials arrested two suspects in connection with burglary.

According to authorities, an exhaustive search led investigators to finally recover the chalices in Milwaukee late Monday, January 23rd. One was found in a home, and the other was found in pieces in a dumpster.

The pastor called the chalices "priceless." They were created in 1938 and belonged to another beloved pastor. He said parishioners had been praying for their return.

"When I told them the bad news, there were people crying. People were very upset because of the meaning of those two chalices so I cannot wait to see the face of joy of some of my parishioners," Father Javier Bustos said.

The Waukesha Police Department is thanking members of the community for having the moral courage to assist the department in bringing closure and recovery to St. Joseph's Catholic Church.