Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, has taken legal action to recover the Eucharist after a Satanic group claimed to have stolen a consecrated host and wine for desecration at a planned “black mass” on March 28 at the Kansas Statehouse. The archbishop has petitioned the District Court of Leavenworth County, Kansas, for the return of the Eucharist, arguing that “all sacred species are the property of the Catholic Church,” according to court documents obtained by OSV News.
Catholic Teaching on the Eucharist
The Catholic Church teaches that during the consecration at Mass, the bread and wine truly become the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, while retaining their outward appearances. As stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” Through reception of Holy Communion, Catholics “unite themselves to Christ ‘to form a single body’ and then are sent forth ‘so that they may fulfill God’s will in their daily lives.'”
Legal Action Against the Satanic Group
The legal motion names Michael T. Stewart and Travis L. Roberts, who serve as president and vice president of The Grotto Society (also known as The Satanic Grotto), a Kansas-based Satanic organization. According to the motion, Stewart boasted on Reddit under the username “xsimon666x” that his group “already secured a consecrated host” and “wine too” for desecration during the planned March 28 event. Stewart also allegedly confirmed possession of the Eucharist in a phone call with Gerald “Chuck” Weber Jr., executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.
The Satanic group’s Facebook event page states that the purpose of the “black mass” is to ensure that “God will fall and Kansas will be embraced by the black flame of Lucifer.” The motion further details that Stewart texted Weber his intention to defy Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s order to move the event outside the Capitol, stating he planned to “kill Jesus.”
Defending the Sacredness of the Eucharist
The archbishop’s petition asserts that “the Catholic Church maintains ownership of all Consecrated Hosts and Wine throughout the world” and that he, as the Archbishop of Kansas City, is “the proper person to seek recovery of such property within the geographic territory of the Archdiocese.” It further states that Stewart, Roberts, and their group are not ordained priests or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and “do not have any consent or authorization from Archbishop Naumann or the Roman Catholic Church to possess any Consecrated Host(s) or any amount of Consecrated Wine.”
Archbishop Naumann emphasizes the immeasurable spiritual value of the Eucharist, stating, “The value of Consecrated Hosts and Wine is incalculable because their significance and importance cannot be measured monetarily.” His petition calls for an immediate court order requiring the return of “any and all Consecrated Hosts and any amount of Consecrated Wine in the possession, custody, or control of Defendants.” Should the defendants refuse, the petition requests that the local county sheriff seize the Eucharistic elements and return them to the archbishop.
Alternatively, the petition seeks a restraining order prohibiting the defendants from concealing, consuming, damaging, destroying, or desecrating the sacred species and from removing them from Kansas. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for March 20.
A Call to Prayer and Action
The Archdiocese of Kansas City has urged the faithful to respond through prayer, worship, and action. Catholics are encouraged to contact Gov. Kelly to call for a ban on the event. Additionally, Archbishop Naumann has announced plans to reconsecrate the state of Kansas to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation.
This case highlights the deep reverence Catholics hold for the Eucharist and underscores the need to protect what the Church recognizes as the real presence of Christ. It also raises broader questions about religious liberty, anti-Catholic bigotry, and legal protections for sacred religious objects. As the March 28 event approaches, the Catholic community remains steadfast in prayer and action, defending the sacred gift of the Eucharist.
