BURGLARY AT ST. MODESTOS CHURCH IN ABU TOR HILL

Before dawn on Tuesday October 2/15, 2019, unknown up to the present people broke into the Church of St. Modestos Patriarch of Jerusalem, which lies in Abu Tor hill, opposite Holy Zion. Having first cut the solid iron railing of the Holy Altar window, the offenders entered the Church searching for money, threw down holy icons and holy vestments, and stole the Holy Gospel, the Holy Vessels, the Holy Cup, the Disc and covering clothing, canticles and books, along with other objects which they considered to be of material value.

This profane action was initially reported to the Patriarchate by the Caretaker of the Monastery and supervisor of its refurbishment Monk Antiohos of St. Savvas Monastery, while the Patriarchate reported it to the Israeli Police who acted immediately, and rushed to the Monastery for an autopsy and fingerprinting in order to identify the perpetrators. Consequently, escorted by the Most Reverend Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina and Archdeacon Mark, His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos visited the burglarized Holy Church, and informed the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr. Christos Sophianopoulos.

From Secretariat-General