In the night from 12 to 13 October 2018, the attacker entered the territory of the parish built the Church of the icon of the Mother of God “surety of sinners” in Ohtake (Cochin) city of Moscow, and committed arson of a temporary wooden Church of the icon of the Mother of God “Softener of evil hearts” and the adjacent Sunday school (Christmas deanery and the Eastern Vicariate of the Moscow diocese), reports patriarhiei.
“We looked at video cameras, they can see that it’s ten to 4 in the morning, there is a strange man in a mask, with a backpack and with two bottles in his hands — said the rector of the Church “Softener of evil hearts” priest Theodore Janowski. He first poured the exterior walls of a wooden Church and Sunday school by the liquid from the bottles, then set on fire and somewhere two minutes 4 disappeared from the back yard.”
Due to the fact that the guard time called the fire brigade, the main building of the temple was not injured. Completely burnt out two Sunday school class and Church extension. The watchman heard a crash and the sound of the fire, called the fire brigade and until his arrival, he tried to extinguish the fire using the fire extinguisher. The scene was also caused by the police. The total damage from the fire yet to be assessed.
A temporary wooden Church of the icon of the Mother of God “Softener of evil hearts” and a Sunday school erected on the site (Kamov str., VL. 2A), allocated by the Moscow Government for the construction of the stone Church of the Mother of God “surety of sinners” in the framework of the Program of building of Orthodox temples in Moscow. In the wooden temple is now accomplished all the divine service of the parish. The erection of the stone Church should be completed in 2019: currently finishes the exterior finish of the building.
Church in Cochin was attacked several times in 2014. In the night from 14 to 15 January 2014, a group of people damaged a fence, overturned the wagon and pulled out piles of the Foundation of the earth. The next day there were broken Windows of the trailer. Late in the evening of 5 November 2014, the attacker brought to the door of the temple a bag of materials and set it on fire, but the fire was discovered in time and could not spread far. Since then, no incident in the temple occurred. “I don’t know who it could be and why he did it. To us nobody addressed the claims,” — says the Abbot of the temple priest Theodore Janowski.
Currently, the Church organized the clearing of the Church grounds after the fire, invited to assist the volunteers.
Tomorrow, October 14, the feast of the Intercession of the Holy lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, the first divine Liturgy in the newly built temple will make managing the Eastern Vicariate, Chairman of the Synodal Department for charity Bishop of Orekhovo-Zuevo Panteleimon. After reporting the incident, the Bishop changed his schedule of worship services and made the decision Sunday to come to Church in Uhtomka to support parishioners and pray with them. To worship everyone is invited. Beginning at 9: 30.