StSava NewYork, Valaam & other "unholy fires"

[Barbara]

I am going to check for more information on the Valaam fire. Previous articles had vaguely mentioned "a church in Russia" without furnishing details. One would not expect it to be Valaam's.

As for St Sava Serbian Patriarchate Church in New York City, this article is the first I have seen probing the cause -- and whether the 4 fires [ including Sydney and Melbourne Greek and Macedonian church buildings ] are connected in a sinister way.

The article focuses mistakenly on Croat-Serb tensions. If Croats were responsible for this, then why the attack on Valaam and the 2 in faraway Australia on NON-Serbian parishes ? Why would Croatian Catholics be prone to attack an EP church ? It's the EP which is the most amenable of any World Orthodox jurisdiction to ecumenical dialogue with Rome.

More likely clues could be found in the sad financial snarl sketched briefly here. Perhaps more details will emerge.

" The church also had deep financial troubles and is battling a major Manhattan developer over a $100 million project that fell through two years ago."

St. Sava had seemingly found an angel to rescue its congregation and crumbling 1850 landmark building from financial ruin in May 2014, when it struck a deal with Madison Equities.

Under its terms, the firm would get a $100 million, 99-year lease to build a commercial building on an adjacent lot in exchange for paying rent and $250,000 to repair the church.

But the developer found that it would have to pay an “exorbitant” $13.5 million real estate broker’s fee — six times the market rate — to a third party called TenantWise to ink the deal, court papers show.

Madison Equities sued to void the deal and sought $500,000 to recoup the repair payment and other costs.

A judge tossed the developer’s case in January, finding the firm was aware of TenantWise’s involvement in the leasing of the church’s land. The developer is appealing."

http://nypost.com/2016/05/02/coordinate ... ral-blaze/

[Barbara]

As most people must know by now, the Valaam fire was only in a 'hotel'. It was next to "the Cathedral", however.
But it was not a church which burned. I found a sketchy report on RT about this with quick footage of a helicopter dropping water from above to dowse the fire [ I didn't know that this was a firefighting technique : seems a sensible idea ]. Whether this hotel was a dormitory for pilgrims, or cells for monks, I have no idea. Waiting on a more comprehensive report.

One assumes that 'the Cathedral' would mean the main Transfiguration Cathedral - but none of this is clear.

It is sad to hear about any damage to Valaam. I have a magnetic bumper sticker that someone had kindly made specially for me almost 20 years ago : " I'd Rather Be in Valaam ".

Well - not THIS minute with the fire ! Nor in this era...rather, the time of Abbot Damascene and the many great ascetics who lived in Valaam in late 19th century such as Schemamonk John the Silent [ + 1894 - ], is greatly appealing.