Reliquary with Saint Spyridon relics stolen from church in Belarus
Relics of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous. Photo: Minsk Regional Executive Committee Police Department (“Minsk Region Police”)
On November 2, 2025, in the Belarusian town of Biarezino, a reliquary containing a fragment of the relics of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous was stolen from the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Minsk Regional Police Department (“Minsk Region Police”) reported.
According to law enforcement officials, the church treasurer reported the disappearance of the shrine. The preliminary material loss was estimated at 900 Belarusian rubles, though, as the police noted, the true spiritual value of the relic “cannot be expressed in money.”
Investigators determined that two men, intoxicated at the time, decided to steal the relic with the intent to sell it and buy alcohol. They sold the reliquary at a local market for only 20 rubles.
The perpetrators were quickly detained, and the holy item was recovered and returned to the church. An official investigation is underway.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Belarusian Church had called for prayers ahead of the court hearing on the possible ban of the UOC Metropolis.
Read also
Lavra Reserve closed due to frost “to protect visitors’ health”
The preserve’s administration announced a temporary suspension of visits due to freezing temperatures, citing the protection of both the monuments and visitors’ health.
Armenian authorities impose travel ban on Church leadership
The Armenian Church stated that the authorities' actions, including criminal prosecution and travel ban, are aimed at disrupting the episcopal assembly in February in Austria.
Kyiv Theological Schools to hold annual student conference
A forum dedicated to the legacy of Prince Ostrogski and Metropolitan Raphael Zaborovsky will be held at the Kyiv Theological Academy.
UOC hierarch expresses condolences to families of miners killed in Ternivka
Metropolitan Ireney offered condolences to the victims and relatives of those killed as a result of a drone strike on a miners' bus in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
TRC officers abduct monk of St. Barbara Skete in Stary Korets
In Rivne, the TRC took away a monk of the Rivne Eparchy of the UOC.
UOC responds to transfer of Lower Lavra buildings to OCU
The Church said that Berezhna’s explanations about the “historical logic” of transferring UOC religious buildings to a newly created structure are surprising.