During the night of October 5, unknown persons committed sacrilege in the Catholic church in Manykivtsi, Khmelnytsky Oblast.
The church’s side doors were broken, the tabernacle for the Blessed Sacrament was pulled out from the wall, and money was taken. Also, the parish priest Fr. Oleksandr Prosyaniuk noted that the vandals defiled the altar by pouring oil over it.
According to the priest, it was not an ordinary theft: Although the thieves made a mess in the sacristy, valuable liturgical vessels were not taken.
“If it was an ordinary robbery, the thieves would have not left the cups and vessels, which stood in a prominent place,” says Fr. Oleksandr, adding that the tabernacle was not easy to steal because it was built into the wall. First, they tried to open it, and when they were unable to, they tore it completely from the wall.
According to the parish priest, much indicates that the robbery had a ritual character, and that it was not a theft for profit.
“Recently, we installed another cross at the entrance to the village, a lot of people attended the celebration, it was a nice holiday,” said the priest. On the other side of the village a cross was also installed. Also in the center of the village stands a consecrated figure of the Mother of God. Satan revolts against everything good that is happening in the parish, in the village,” says Fr. Prosyaniuk.
The police are investigating the matter, but those responsible have not been found. It should be noted that a similar case in Zhmerinka has still not been closed. In Kamyanets-Podilsk, police found the thief who stole the Blessed Gifts along with the taburnacle. It is an unemployed 20-year-old man who lives in the same area as the church. He robbed the church for the sake of profit.
Meanwhile, local Catholics in Manykivtsi are saying prayers to God to forgive the sacrilege.
The village of Manykivtsi in the Khmelnytsky Oblast is Catholic. Among the thousands of residents, almost half are practicing Catholics. The Orthodox believers and those who do not go to any church, treat the Catholics with respect. Thanks to the project “New Organization and Evangelization of the Parish,” which was introduced several years ago, the laity is active in parish life.