It was a divine “drug bust.”
A worker at an Orthodox seminary in Yonkers stumbled upon a surprising discovery when they found what appeared to be a cache of “drugs,” only to realize that the objects were of a completely different, holy nature.
Drug-sniffing dogs were called to St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in response to a report of possible illegal narcotics on the campus, as reported by WABC.
Upon further inspection, it was revealed that the suspected contraband was actually first-degree relics of Saint Raphael of Brooklyn, who founded St. Nicholas Cathedral in downtown Brooklyn and was glorified in 2000, according to the Orthodox Church in America (OCA).
“The people that found them didn’t know what they were,” said Father Michael Nasser of the seminary. “They weren’t in a typical container.”
The relics had fallen out of a plastic bag while being transported for cataloging and miraculously remained undamaged.
“It’s a spiritual connection for us, maintaining our connection to that person. He lived in the 20th century,” Nasser noted, referring to Saint Raphael who passed away in 1915.
The discovery of the relics led to a positive interaction with the K-9 units who responded to the call, receiving a special prayer and blessing from the seminary.
Saint Raphael, known as the “first Orthodox Christian bishop consecrated on American soil,” established numerous churches in North America, as stated by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.
Raphael, born in Beirut in 1860 to Syrian parents, arrived in America in 1895 and is honored with a feast day celebrated on the first Saturday in November.
