Omaha, November 10, 2026
Photo: GiveSendGo
St. Vincent of Lerins Orthodox Church, a small Western rite parish in Omaha, was burglarized and vandalized over the weekend.
In a statement on its Facebook page, the parish says it was unable hold Sunday services after the intrusion was discovered on Sunday the morning.
According to the statement, the church, part of the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, was entered through a back window. “Many things were taken, such as chalices, candlesticks, and other metal items,” the statement says, adding that the copper water pipes were cut out and the HVAC system was damaged.
Photo: St Vincent Orthodox Church A GiveSendGo fundraiser has been set up to help cover repairs and replacements. The statement there says the parish, made up of a small congregation with a very tight budget, plans to replace the front doors with something more secure.
The parish says it won’t be deterred: “We will continue in our Orthodox faith, to proclaim the Glory of God!”
The parish was founded in 1990 by a group of former Episcopalians who wanted the sound theology and teachings of the Orthodox Church while still worshiping in the Western Rite. They met for a time at St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, then bought a rectory, and the congregation worshiped in a chapel in its basement.
In 1993, another former Omaha Episcopal group converted to Orthodoxy under Fr. Stephen Walinski. He was ordained an Orthodox priest and became the parish’s second rector. For a while, the parish worshiped in the sanctuary of a Baptist church before buying its own building in the Benson area of Omaha in 1994.
The church has been led by Fr. Theodore Eklund since 2004.
Follow OrthoChristian on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, and MeWe!
