The parish of St Anthony’s Orthodox Church in Sunshine is in turmoil, after burglars invaded the church site on Monday night.
The perpetrators broke into the side door of the church and stole money as well as valuable religious objects.
“On Tuesday morning I went to open the church and saw the left door open. Then my eyes went to the Royal Doors, which were also open and I saw all things thrown away and turned upside down,” Archimandrite Father Synesios Frangos told Neos Kosmos.
“They stole the holy relics and the holy breadbasket with which we transport holy communion to the hospitals, they broke the bar and the boxes we use to collect money for the poor and stole all the money, everything.”
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While Fr Synesios is not phased by the monetary losses, the holy relics and breadbasket are priceless.
Police speculate that these were ‘professional’ burglars as no fingerprints were found inside or outside the church.
“The police took photos and told me that they would write a report but they did not give me much hope that the culprits would eventually be found unless they tried to sell the items to a pawnshop and were able to locate them,” said Father Synesios.
