Raiders from OCU organize a “prayer” service near the UOC chapel

Divine service of the community of St. Nicholas temple of the UOC in honor of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, which appeared to the believers at the source near Budiatichi village. Photo: UOJ

On July 5, 2019, the St. Nicholas community of the UOC in the village of Budiatichi could not hold a service at its chapel built on a source in honor of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. This was reported by the UOJ correspondent.

On coming to the chapel, the UOC parishioners discovered that someone had stuffed the door locks with inappropriate items so that they could not be opened.

“At about half past seven in the morning, members of the OCU were spotted at the chapel. They had brought along several people to their "prayer", took pictures and quickly dispersed, because they knew that we would come at 10 am. We are just speechless!” the UOC believers commented on the situation.

Later, a report on the "worship" of the OCU in Budiatichi was published on the website of Vladimir-Volyn "diocese" of the OCU. It is easy to see in the photo report that there were more “priests” than “parishioners”.

Recall, on April 16, 2019, by the decision of the chairperson Volyn Regional State Administration, Alexander Savchenko, the statute of St. Nicholas community of the UOC was changed in favor of the OCU despite the fact that at the meeting of the religious community the believers had voted against the change of jurisdiction: the officials accepted a dubious protocol of the territorial assembly. The re-registration of the community is being currently challenged in court.

On the morning of April 21, the rector of the UOC temple in Budiatichi, Archpriest Ioann Sabivchak, by whose efforts the parish had been rebuilt, found that the entrance to the church territory and the doors to the temple were blocked by chains. To this day, the populous and active community of the UOC in the village has been defending its temple and its right to exist, despite repeated attempts to seize real estate by a small active core of the OCU. Services are performed at the entrance to the church territory.

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