Kropivnitsky, Ukraine, January 28, 2019
Photo: foma.ru/ Young students of the Sunday School at the Holy Dormition Church of the canonical Orthodox Church in the city of Kropivnitsky appealed to their local authorities and the supporters of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” not to take away their church.
Together with their parents and the parishioners of the church, the children sang a song and tearfully appealed to mayor Andrei Raikovich and the local schismatics not to take their church and also confirmed their loyalty to the canonical Ukrainian Church headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine, reports the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
As explained by the Kirovograd Diocese, the faithful were outraged by the decision of Mayor Raikovich, the main benefactor of the church’s construction, who singlehandedly decided to transfer the church to the newly-created schismatic structure.
“The Church community, which participated in the construction to varying degrees and which still genuinely cares for the beautification of the Holy Dormition Church, unanimously condemned the decision of Andrei Raikovich to transfer the church to the ‘OCU,’” the diocesan statement emphasized.
In this regard, the children and parishioners appealed to the mayor and schismatics during their parish meeting on January 23 with the participation of the rector His Eminence Metropolitan Joasaph of Kirovograd and Novomirgorod.
“I commune every Sunday in this church. We have a Sunday school where we study, we draw, we sing… We sing with our choir… We took a trip to the sea with our church… I really like this church and I entreat you: Don’t take the church from us,” one of the children pleaded.
Another student said, “I know how all our parishioners love our church, how grateful they are that it was built, that they can pray to Christ… Now I am very afraid that we will not be able to pray and receive Christ’s Sacraments here.”
The result of the meeting was that the entire community of Holy Dormition unanimously decided to remain faithful to the Church of Christ, despite the presence of some representatives of the city council and activists who have nothing to do with the parish community and who tried to interrupt the meeting with provocative shouts.
Follow us on Facebook!
