Community of Dobryn transferred to OCU despite the parish meeting outcome

UOC community in Dobryn village voted for loyalty to the UOC

Believers of the small village of Dobryn in Khoroshev district of Zhitomir region are outraged that their decision to remain in the bosom of the canonical Church was brazenly ignored.

As it became known to the UOJ, the decision on the “transition” was made at a meeting of the territorial community of the village, which was organized by Galina Shirchenko, the head of the district administration.

At the same time, the parish meeting of the religious community in the village was held on February 17, at which the believers testified in minutes their desire to remain in the bosom of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church – 67 votes “for” and 1 vote "against”.

Local priest, Father Ioanniky, said that long before the meeting he had got interested in the opinion of the local residents about the jurisdiction they supported. According to him, the overwhelming majority expressed support for the UOC.

When the religious community decided to fix its decision officially and the priest announced the convening of a parish meeting, in the evening of February 16, on the eve of the meeting, civil servant Galina Shirchenko personally came to the priest to clarify whether he had changed his attitude to the OCU.

Having received a negative answer, on the following day, simultaneously with the parish assembly, she organized another meeting in the local House of Culture – the territorial community, to which the “parishioners” – teachers, employees of the House of Culture and other employees of budgetary organizations – were also called by order. At this meeting, there was held an illegal voting for the transition to the OCU.

On the official website of the OCU, a message has already appeared that "Bishop Paisius blessed the transfer of communities to the United Orthodox Church."

“On February 20, 2019, in the administration of Zhitomir-Ovruch eparchy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, a meeting was held with members of the parish of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God of the Moscow Patriarchate of Dobryn village, Khoroshev district. The community made a decision to join the Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church but without a priest,” the press service of the OCU said.

“Next Sunday they promised to send another priest from the OCU,” Father Ioanniky said.

“The rector of the temple in the village of Dobryn, together with his parishioners, who all supported him, put a lot of effort to repair the temple. Everyone worked at the church and now those who are not its parishioners define the fate of the parish!” says with indignation the UOC congregation member Vera.

Read also