Stolen for 24 Years, a Beloved Mexican Saint Finally Comes Home
A treasured 1747 portrait of St. Francis of Assisi has finally returned to the Church of San Francisco de Asis in Teotihuacán, more than two decades after thieves stole it during a 2001 break-in. The six-foot painting—missing for over 200 years before it was taken—resurfaced in 2018 when a consignor tried to sell it through Mexico City’s Morton Subastas.
Routine checks flagged it as stolen in the Art Loss Register, halting the sale and launching a long legal process. After seven years in police custody and the resolution of competing claims, the Art Loss Register and Morton Subastas secured its return.
On November 9, the painting was rehung in its original place during an emotional ceremony attended by more than 1,000 people. For the church community, its homecoming marks not just the recovery of an artwork, but the return of a symbol deeply woven into their faith and history.
“With thefts targeting public institutions and churches on the rise, this recovery offers hope not only to individual victims but to whole communities as well,” said Charlotte Chambers-Farah, business development and client manager at the Art Loss Register. Well said, Charlotte!
