Snovyanka, Ukraine, May 28, 2019
Photo: pravlife.org
Yet another act of violence has been carried out against a parish of the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine, as has been commonplace for years, and especially in the wake of the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s ill-advised creation of a new schismatic church in December.
This time the target was the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Snovyanka in the Chernigov Province, with assailants stealing six ancient icons and alms, reports the Diocese of Chernigov and Novgorod-Siversk.
The church was discovered open on Sunday morning. Two Kazan Mother of God icons, two icons of St. Nicholas, and icon of the Great Martyr George, and an icon of the Archangel Michael were found to be missing.
“The attackers broke into the church and stole six ancient icons, as well as the cash donations from the box,” the diocese reports. Parish rector Fr. Vladimir Karpenko reported the incident to the police, who responded quickly. An investigation is underway.
Parishioners have asked for fervent prayers for the return of their stolen icons.
The Kazan Church was built in 1929, closed in 1933, and restored and reopened in 1991. The deans of the Chernigov Diocese declared their loyalty to the canonical Church and its primate His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine in November.
Follow us on Facebook!
