Red Hill, Victoria, Australia, February 26, 2020
CCTV footage shows two men breaking into the church. Photo: Victoria Police
A wonderworking icon of the Most Holy Theotokos has been stolen from a Greek Orthodox monastery in Australia for the third time in 6 years. Thieves stolen a wooden donation box this time, as well.
The crime occurred at the Holy Monastery of Panagia Kamariani in Red Hill, Victoria between 12:10 and 12:30 AM on Monday, February 10, reports Neos Kosmos.
Vitoria Police has released CCTV images of two men inside the church in hopes that someone will recognize them. According to the police report, they attempted to force open the front doors, but eventually got in through the side door.
The church is appealing for the return of their precious icon of the Virgin Mary. Photo: Supplied
The thieves took an icon of the Theotokos made in Greece in 1974 and a green wooden donation box. The box contained an unknown sum of money, and the icon is worth up to $10,000. More importantly, the icon is miraculous, says Fr. Eleftherios Tatsis.
“I won’t hold a grudge; simply return the icon to us. It is historic and miraculous,” he said.
The icon was previously stolen in both 2014 and 2016. The monastery community is in shock, and has yet to receive any leads on the whereabouts of the icon and donation box.
