Divine justice: how a thief was impaled by an angel's sword

Whether you call it divine retribution against a sinner in the act of breaking the law or think of it as just another weird coincidence that happens in our world, you'll never believe what happened to one man that thought he could steal from a church in Mexico.

In January 2023, a thief in Mexico was served a bit of divine justice after he accidentally impaled himself on a statue of St. Michael the Archangel while robbing a church in Cristo Rey Parish. 

Micheal Alonso was visiting the church in Monterrey early in the morning last week. But the would-be thief wasn't looking to confess his sins, he was looking to commit a crime. 

Alonso allegedly hopped one of the church's fences and broke a glass door before entering the building in search of valuables according to Mexico’s national media outlet Milenio. 

The 32-year-old was apparently intoxicated and attempted to make off with a statue of St. Michael the Archangel, and tripped in the process. 

Unfortunately for Alonso, he fell right onto St. Micheal’s sword and impaled himself through the neck, severely injuring the young man. 

According to reports from the Daily Mail, Alonso was found by a group of locals who then called for help for the injured thief impaled by St. Michael's sword.

Alonso received medical attention at the scene before he was taken to a clinic and later handed over to Mexican police to face secular justice. 

Luckily, the Daily Mail reported that the statue of St. Michael wasn’t damaged in the robbery attempt and it was returned to the church. 

Alonso was expected to make a full recovery according to the Catholic News Agency, which reported on the incident in a newsletter to its followers. 

“It is expected that once he has recovered,” the Catholic News Agency wrote, “the suspect will be turned over to the public prosecutor’s office, and the punishment he could face for the damage to the church will be determined.”

Locals in the area told a Mexican news outlet ABC Noticias that the church Alonso attempted to steal from is often the target of robberies. 

A neighborhood store owner named Lupita was interviewed by ABC Noticias and told the news agency that the man got what he deserved for messing with the head of God’s divine army.

"That happened to him for doing bad things,” Lupita told reporters, “San Miguel is for protection, to fight evil, I think that's why that happened to him.” 

Another neighbor was quoted by ABC Noticias as saying, “St. Michael “is the great protector… he is a protector of homes, and... maybe that is why he saved the Parish."

There have been no further updates on what happened to Micheal Alonso but you can be sure that the would-be thief probably learned his lesson. Hopefully, Alonso didn't return to his wicked ways and took his thrashing from St. Michael as a sign. 

In the Catholic tradition, St. Michael the Archangel is traditionally depicted as the captain or leader of the angels in their struggle against evil for the souls of mankind. 

St. Michael is most commonly depicted wielding a sword that is meant to symbolize justice and his role of separating the righteous from the damned at the end of days according to the Book of Revelations.