Serifos: break-in at the Taxiarches Monastery

Three unknown people, with covered faces, gloves and bags containing burglary tools, entered the Taxiarches Monastery on Serifos and took dozens of votive offerings. According to the reports citing the camera footage, they used a wooden ladder to climb the monastery’s outer walls, forced the church door and headed for the icon of the Archangel Gabriel. They tried to break its glass, without success as it was bulletproof material, and then forced the lock. Gold rings, bracelets, necklaces and pectoral crosses were taken, offerings from the faithful that had accumulated over the years. Their total value has not been announced by the authorities, while the time they spent inside is estimated at about a minute and a half.

During the incident the abbot, Father Evdokimos, and Father Gavriil were at the monastery, and neither noticed anything. The incident came to light in the morning, when the break-ins were discovered, and the morning service was not held. The authorities are examining frame by frame the footage from four security cameras at the complex, while according to the same reports the possibility that the site had been scouted beforehand is also being investigated. The methodical nature of the operation, the knowledge of the route through the monastery and the limited time spent inside are elements being examined in the context of that version. No one has been arrested so far and no description of the three people has been released.

The Taxiarches Monastery dates from the 16th century and is built as a fortification, with high walls that protected it from the pirate raids of the period. It is the island’s most important monument and serves at the same time as a place of worship, as a place where relics are kept and as a point of reference for residents. For a community the size of Serifos, the violation of such a place has a dimension that goes beyond the material damage: the votive offerings correspond to personal stories of island families. The incident comes a few weeks after another break-in at a religious site on the island, at the Church of the Evangelistria in Kato Chora, on 28 July 2026, from which votive offerings and money from the collection box were taken and to which a team from Milos had travelled for an on-site examination. No official link between the two cases has been announced.

The preliminary investigation is continuing on the basis of the camera footage and the findings of the on-site examination. It has not been made known whether fingerprints or other biological samples have been taken, nor whether the way the three people arrived at and left the island is being examined, a question that in an island setting is limited to the ferry schedules and to private boats. The issue of guarding isolated churches and monasteries comes up again every time such incidents are recorded in the Cyclades, as most of these places remain open or unguarded for much of the day. Until there is official information from the police directorate, it is not known whether the investigation has led in any particular direction.