Rivne and Volyn, Ukraine, November 26, 2020
The community of St. Michael in the village of Polesskoe. Photo: news.church.ua
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 cheek, 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 number and spiritual strength.
One of the most recent reports concerns the parish community of St. Michael in the village of Polesskoe in the Rivne Province, whose church has been seized by schismatics. The Orthodox faithful now gather for prayer in their priest’s house and have peacefully begun the construction of a new church.
The site of the future church was blessed on November 23 by Archpriest Igor Cospa, the local dean, reports the Information-Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The faithful of the UOC have filed a lawsuit for their church to be returned to its rightful community, “but without wasting time while the court sessions are being held, the faithful of the UOC will build a new church,” the Sarny Diocese reports.
Conveying the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Sarny at the consecration, Fr. Igor said:
I believe that the grace of God will not leave you, the faithful of the UOC, in your desire to build a church. I believe that the Lord will support you and help you in your good desire. I know that the Lord will wipe away the tears of each of you who are now being persecuted by the malice and enmity of those who are ruining the Church of Christ. May the Lord help you build a church to the glory of your children and grandchildren, who will preserve the faith of Christ for future generations.
The house church of the canonical Ukrainian community in in the village of Yasenovka. Photo: news.church.ua
And on Sunday, November 22, His Grace Bishop Athanasy of Kamen-Kashir, vicar of the Volyn Diocese, paid a pastoral visit to the persecuted community of the She Who is Quick to Hear Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Yasenovka in the Rivne Province, whose church was seized by schismatics soon after its consecration.
The faithful now gather to pray in a simple house.
At the end of the service, Bp. Athanasy conveyed the blessing of Archbishop Nathaniel, the administrator of the diocese, and called on the community to continue to carry the light of Christ in their hearts to everyone who needs it. The hierarch thanked the faithful for their steadfastness and wished them to overcome their personal grievances and heartache and continue to be worthy to be called Christians and to rely on our Lord, Who is love. Because this love is the proof that we are really Christians, because the Lord says in the Gospel: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Earlier this month, OrthoChristian reported on the community in the village of Zabolottsi in the Volyn Province that has been forced to begin building a new church.
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