[NRx]

Lord have mercy!

[babble-on]

Serbians, gosh who would do something nasty to Serbians?

[katana]

One hundred fifty year old structure, packed with icons and old ornamentation, a priest walking round the altar swinging an incense burner, and maybe hundreds of people holding lit candles. What could possibly go wrong?

[lexington minuteman 1775]

I suppose the Enemedia won’t let us hear what the arson investigators discover...a fire that burns that hot and that huge without accelerants and multiple starting points is a tad suspicious...and Serbia is near Muslim strong holds you know those pesky Amish...
Freegards
LEX

[vladimir998]

Although not included in the story I am linking to, it is said that when Notre Dame University suffered a catastrophic fire in 1879, that the founder, Fr. Sorin walked around the ruins and said to the assembled students and faculty that Mary must have wanted them to think bigger and that they must have given her a university that was too small. He then told them to show up the next morning to help start the rebuilding.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120507085725/http://archives.nd.edu/hope/hope13.htm/

Maybe St. Sava wants a bigger and better church to better serve and honor the Lord!

[Sacajaweau]

This was originally an extension of Trinity Church IN YC and was a Christian Church.

IIRC, Trinity Church in NYC was miraculously saved from destruction on 9-11.

Sorry....I'm thinking Arson.

I think I read that there was another church burning someplace else in NYC at almost the same time.

[NRx]

A more detailed story from the NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/nyregion/blaze-engulfs-historic-serbian-orthodox-church-in-manhattan.html?action=click&contentCollection=nyregion&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

The parish website...
http://stsavanyc.org/

[backwoods-engineer]

If this is not arson, it is the most incredible coincidence since OJ’s bloody glove.

[montag813]

Haven’t the Serbs suffered enough? And does anyone doubt this was a Muslim hit?

[lonerepubinma]

The cause of the fire could be anything. The church where my wife works had a fire in the Vesting room a few years back. One of the parishioners thought that putting a small amount of burning incense into a window box filled with soil would be a safe way to dispose of it. a few hours later a small fire was discovered before it became out of control.

http://www.springsgov.com/units/fire/Safety/PottingSoilFires.htm

[NRx]

The historic building, though Orthodox, was originally built by the Episcopalians and it retained much of its original high church Protestant flavor including the neo-gothic design with grand stained glass windows and elegant pews. Also lost are countless icons and holy relics.

[toothfairy86]

Serbian church in NYC, Macedonian Orthodox church outside of Sydney, Greek Orthodox church in Melbourne, another building at the Vaalam Monastery in Russia all burned on Easter Sunday. Lord, have mercy!

[litehaus]

“Lord have mercy!”

If we deserve it? Pray for forgiveness/grace instead, it might be a better idea?