Desecration of St Columba’s grave on Iona
August 7, 2015. Unknown perpetrators desecrated Saint Columba’s grave in Iona (Scotland) as the website of the Express reports. This small island in the Inner Hebrides off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland was a monastic centre in the past and it is the place where Saint Columba is buried after bringing Christianity in Scotland (597 A.D.).
The barbers forced open and damaged a wooden floor hatch, which covers the burial site, leading to fears that professional thieves may have deliberately targeted the tomb, as the relics of the saint are considered miraculous. They did not find anything at all to steal. Jane Martin, Historic Scotland Manager at Iona Abbey, confirmed the damage and the desecration of the grave and she said that the intention of the perpetrators was to steal the relics. The Police continue the investigation.