Ust-Putyla, Chernivtsi Province, Ukraine, October 31, 2025
Photo: pravlife.info
For the fifth month, members of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Ust-Putyla, Chernivtsi Province, have been maintaining a round-the-clock vigil and prayer standing in their Church of St. Paraskeva of Serbia. The community belongs to the Chernivtsi-Bukovina Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
On October 27, the faithful celebrated the feast day of their Heavenly patroness, St. Paraskeva. Clergy from the diocese arrived at the parish to share in the celebration and serve the Divine Liturgy together with the rector of the church, Archpriest Dimitry Symchuk, the diocese reports.
After the Liturgy and blessing of water, a procession took place around the church with the reading of the Gospel and sprinkling of the faithful with holy water. Afterwards, Fr. Dimitry thanked the clergy and parishioners for their conciliar prayer.
On the morning of May 21, 2025, supporters of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” violently seized the Church of St. Paraskeva. A group of raiders broke the locks and barricaded themselves inside the church building. Police stood at the entrance, preventing parishioners who had gathered to defend the holy site from entering. However, the next night, at approximately 2:00 AM, canonical parishioners managed to break through the blockade and enter their church. After a night Liturgy, the faithful began their round-the-clock vigil and prayer standing in the church.
Earlier, on February 4, 276 members of the parish voted unanimously to remain loyal to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. However, the schismatics of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine are full of hatred for the canonical church and carry out violence against its people and holy sites despite the will of the people.
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