Sixteen pieces of jewelry, including crucifixes and pocket watches, which were stolen from a community of religious sisters in the Boston area 25 years ago were returned last week, reported CBS 4 News.

The jewelry arrived from San Jose, Calif., in a cell phone box. It included an anonymous note that read: "Please return these items to the sisters that they were stolen from."

"The person who stole them asks for forgiveness and has asked for God's forgiveness and is extremely sorry for the pain the theft has caused," said Lt. Bruce Apotheker of the Newton Police Department.

The items were stolen from the Catholic Convent on Walnut Park around 1981 and were returned to Boston’s Our Lady Help of Christians church last week.

"We're happy to receive the items back and we're mindful that the person who did it must have been remorseful," said the pastor, Fr. John Sassani.

Fr. Sassani says more than likely it was the passage of time and a moral compass that led the jewelry back to the area.

Newton police are not focusing on pressing charges. Rather, they say, they simply want to return the jewelry to its rightful owners.