Cherkasy, Cherkasy Province, Ukraine, October 28, 2026
Photo: pravlife.info
A parish of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church is being evicted from the room where it has prayed alongside hospital patients for years.
The Third Cherkassy City Hospital sent the Cherkassy Diocese of the UOC a letter saying the lease on the room used by the Parish of the Holy Apostle Luke is ending and won’t be extended. The hospital says that now, after 20 years, it needs the space for the “proper organization of staff work.”
Dozor, a Telegram channel that obtained the letter, says the hospital’s leadership decided “to take away from its patients the opportunity to pray and take part in the Church’s Sacraments.” It says the decision comes from “obvious hatred of the Church.”
The parish has been led by an Archimandrite Viktor for 20 years. According to the outlet, in a personal conversation, the head doctor suggested that Fr. Viktor move to the OCU, and then everything would “remain as before.” He refused to leave the Church, however.
Dozor recalls that raiders from the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine” previously wanted to take over the room and even forged parish documents, but they were unable to because the lease belonged to the canonical diocese.
The First Cherkassy City Hospital earlier took a room from a UOC parish and handed it to the schismatics, who never managed to set anything up there, and the room was eventually closed.
“Obviously, a similar fate awaits the Third Hospital,” Dozor says.
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