CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD DESECRATED

GRAČANICA, MARCH 5 /SRNA/ – The Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Gračanica was desecrated by unknown persons who stole the altar cross, priest Dario Miletić told SRNA.

Miletić stated that items in the altar were scattered but not broken, and that the padlock on the church door had been forcibly removed. He said that today, before preparing for the funeral of a deceased woman from this town, he noticed that the church had been desecrated and informed the police in Gračanica, who conducted a scene investigation. "Late last week I was in the church with the church caretaker to arrange it. On Sunday I visited the church and everything was in order," Miletić said. The Gračanica parish includes the town of Gračanica and the villages of Lendići, Gornja Lohinja, Donja Lohinja, Tekućica, and Suvo Polje. Written records about church life in Gračanica date back to 1656, as noted in a manuscript of the Serbian Learned Society, specifically in an address book of the Patriarchate of Peć used for official circulars.