Zabolottsi, Ukraine, November 17, 2020
Photo: spzh.news
Parish communities of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church throughout Ukraine continue to suffer from the violent seizures and illegal re-registrations of their churches to the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”
Although the Ukrainian faithful have been subjected to hatred and terrible violence at times, they turn the other check, according to the Lord’s commandment, and humbly continue their life in the Church as they are able. Every week, there are reports in the Ukrainian media about new churches being built in place of those that were seized or about canonical communities finding temporary spaces to offer their prayers to the Lord and celebrate the Divine Liturgy.
Despite the loss of nearly 500 parishes to the schismatics, the canonical Church, in fact, continues to grow in numbers and spiritual strength.
One of the most recent reports comes from the village of Zabolottsi in the Volyn Province, where the Ukrainian faithful have been forced to pray outside in their priest’s yard since their Church of the Exaltation of the Cross was seized by the nationalist terrorists of the schismatic OCU.
The site of the future church was consecrated on the community’s patronal feast day on September 27, reports the Union of Orthodox Journalists.
The Orthodox faithful prayed in the pouring rain on the day of the consecration.
The church in the village was illegally re-registered to the schismatic structure in April of last year, and the building was finally seized by nationalist “priests” on July 26 of this year.
On November 10, a new church, built in place of the one seized by schismatics, was consecrated in the village of Myatin in the Rivne Province.
On November 15, the canonical community of the UOC in the village of Uspenka in the Diocese of Alexandria celebrated its first Liturgy in a house given to the community by concerned villagers, while it awaits a judicial decision on the fate of its church.
Although the political situation overall has been more favorable for the canonical UOC under President Vladimir Zelensky, there are signs and fears that the times of persecution under Poroshenko are returning. For example, on November 13, First Deputy Chairman of the Volyn Provincial State Sdministration Sergei Movenko signed an order to transfer the previously sealed St. Michael’s Church in the village of Belichi to the use of the schismatic OCU.
