In Dorotishche believers prevent seizure of their temple

 The temple in honor of the Assumption of the Virgin in Dorotishche village

The temple in honor of the Assumption of the Virgin in Dorotishche village

The provocation took place when the vespers were to be held on the eve of the Sunday liturgy, the press service of the Vladimir-Volynsk Eparchy reports.

The initiators of the seizure blocked the parishioners from entering the temple, tied a yellow-blue flag at the top of the monument-cross in the churchyard, and prevented the vespers from starting on time.

Protopriest Mikhail Chupak, the dean of Kovel-Voskresensk district, met with members of the religious community and villagers. He listened to the initiators of the “transition” to the OCU, who were headed by the chairman of the Kovel district council, Andrey Broilo.

After a long and frank conversation, they managed to reach an understanding and resolve a number of issues that used to cause discontent among some villagers. When the incident was settled, the need for a transition to the OCU vanished.

The participants agreed that the period of preparation for Great Lent is not the time for religious conflicts. Andrei Broilo, who comes from Dorotishche, promised the present that the agreements would not be violated and that the services in the church would continue to be performed unhindered. And indeed, the vespers, albeit belatedly, passed properly, and was very crowded.

At that time, while the “activists” blocked the entrance to the temple, priests and more than a hundred people came from nearby Kovel, for whom Dorotishche is a small homeland. Here, in the local church, they were baptized, here they got married, here they paid last respects to their parents. An hour later, the fellow countrymen got together at the temple, so precious to them, in order to prevent provocations.

“Today we managed to reach an agreement in Dorotishche. Thanks to everyone who sees the truth behind the labels and is able to search for a solution to all issues peacefully! ” the diocese wrote.

As the UOJ reported, earlier the NGO Public Advocacy published a legal video instruction on how to protect a church from the raider seizure.

Albanian Church Primate calls for overcoming nationalism in Orthodoxy

Archbishop Joan addressed an international forum in France, speaking on conciliarity and the need to overcome nationalism within Orthodoxy.

Nizhyn Eparchy launches aid drive for shelling victims in Pryluky

UOC churches have set up donation boxes to help people affected by missile strikes on Pryluky and other parts of the region.

UOC chapel consecrated in Seliatyn, Bukovyna

A local family in Seliatyn built a chapel in gratitude to the Mother of God.

Metropolitan Onuphry leads patronal feast at St. Sergius Church in Kyiv

The Primate of the UOC celebrated the festal Divine Liturgy alongside fellow hierarchs at St. Sergius of Radonezh Church in Kyiv’s Solomianka District.

Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monks honor memory of St. Sergius of Radonezh

The brethren of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra held services commemorating St. Sergius of Radonezh.

Metropolitan Onuphry: God created man for peace, not war and hostility

The Primate stressed that hostility and war run counter to God's will and that peace can be restored only through sincere repentance and a return to the Lord.