Dublin religious relic stolen - UPI.com DUBLIN, Ireland, March 4 (UPI) -- Police say thieves snuck into the Christ Church Cathedral and made off with the preserved heart of St. Laurence O'Toole, the patron saint of Dublin, Ireland. Guards say the theft took place late Saturday night. The thieves forced open the iron-barred wooden container which held the heart, a relic which staff said they had never before laid eyes on. Rev. Dermot Dunne, Dean of the Cathedral, told The (Dublin) Sunday Independent he was shocked at the theft. It has no economic value, but it is a priceless treasure that links our present foundation with its founding father, St Laurence O'Toole. O'Toole, once a deeply ascetic archbishop, was born in 1128 in Lorcan Ua Tuathail in Castledermot, County Kildare. He died in 1180 in Normandy France. Since his tomb was the site of several miracles, he was canonized by Pope Honorious III in 1225.