A suitcase that was left unattended Monday morning near the sacristy of St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland prompted a call to police and a bomb squad investigation.
The bag was removed by robots to an outside courtyard for X-rays. Nothing harmful was found inside, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz.
Police swept the church for anything else that might be amiss before clearing the scene.
The bag was found after the 8:15 a.m. Mass at the cathedral, said the Very Rev. Kris D. Stubna, St. Paul’s rector.
“We called the police immediately and had them come and check it out,” Stubna said.
The bag was found in the front of the sanctuary, Stubna said, by the left entrance to the sacristy, the room where priests prepare for the service and store vestments.
Cathedral staff are trained to pay attention to things that are out of the ordinary and in this case, an unattended piece of luggage “is not something you would see left alone,” Stubna said.
The response delayed the next Mass, normally celebrated at 12:05 p.m., to 12:30 because of the police response.
