The curious case of the broken lock

Prior to Mass at the Relevant Radio® Chapel of the Nativity on October 6, Father Luke went to repose the Blessed Sacrament, and when he turned the key to open the Tabernacle, the key spun without resistance – the lock was broken and the Tabernacle was locked shut!  After Mass, we determined that the “drop” (the part of the lock mechanism that is released into the lock slot) was broken off from the lock itself.

A locksmith arrived around 3 o’clock, just as the chapel was finishing praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet.  Damien then moved the Monstrance into the sacristy, and he and Aaron went through Reposition and put the Blessed Sacrament into the Luna, beside a lit candle.

Meanwhile, the locksmith took a look at the Tabernacle and was not very hopeful about the lock situation. It was broken, and therefore the normal “pick” method would not work.  Further, the hinge pin could not be accessed, so the door couldn’t be taken off the hinge.  He got a picking tool out of his truck to see if at least he could “feel” what was going on behind the lock.

After a quick prayer and just as Damien and Aaron finished singing the last line of Holy God, We Praise Thy Name, I watched as the door casually swung open and the lock drop fell onto the counter.

The locksmith looked at me and said, “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“I mean, that really should not have happened,” he repeated.   “I don’t know how it did.  But I’m not going to question it!”  And when Damien and Aaron emerged from the sacristy, he added, “whatever you were doing in there, keep doing it!”

Lindsey is a wife, mother, and contributing author at Relevant Radio. She holds a degree in Journalism and Advertising from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Lindsey enjoys writing, baking, and liturgical living with her young family.