Stara Zhadova, Ukraine, March 5, 2019
Photo: news.church.ua
In addition to the many dioceses that have declared their loyalty to the canonical Church throughout Ukraine, individual parishes have been doing the same and actively resisting the attempts of schismatics and nationalists to seize their churches.
Among those parishes is the Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Stara Zhadova in southwestern Ukraine, where Epiphany Dumenko, the primate of the newly-created schismatic church, spent his childhood, reports the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Dumenko was born in Odessa but spent his childhood and school years in Stara Zhadova in the Chernivtsi Province.
The parish rector Fr. Vasily has been serving in the area for 24 years. He served the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, February 24, after which a parish meeting was held. Fr. Vasily again showed the parishioners the gramota issued by His Holiness Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow and All Russia granting independence and self-administration to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Although a supporter of the schismatic church tried to convince the villagers and priest to join the schismatics, an absolute majority of the parishioners voted to remain loyal to the Orthodox Church. Moreover, Fr. Vasily responded to the agitator: “I am ready to give you my place in the Kingdom of Heaven and to only kneel at the entrance, but I will not lead people to hell and eternal damnation.”
Activists are still planning to hold a territorial meeting to try to force the parish into schism. The faithful were surprised to learn of this, as only 10-15 people attend the local “Kiev Patriarchate” parish.
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