Mikhailivka community: Elders donate savings “for death” to a new church

Mikhailivka residents building a new church instead of the seized one by the OCU. Photo: a video screen

Old people donate even a penny that they’ve saved “for death” for the construction of a new church of the UOC, “Klymenko Time” cites believers of the village of Mikhailivka in the Hlyboka district, Chernivtsi region, who lost their church, which was illegally “transferred” to the OCU.

According to the clergyman of the UOC Archpriest Vitaly Chershsky, after the trouble happened to the parish, there were many caring people who wanted to help build a new church for the faithful of Mikhailivka. He also noted the contribution of the parishioners themselves, who do a lot for the construction of the temple.

“These women, who are standing next to me, do a lot,” the priest pointed to the parishioners of the UOC. “They go to temples of our God-saving eparchy, raise money for construction. Their labors really help, and most of all, their prayers.”

The women themselves said that they raised money in the villages: people who want to help, invite them themselves, sincerely worry about the progress of construction and pray for benefactors.

“And these old people, who saved money – do you know what for? – "for death", invest it in the construction of the temple. We do not have “friends and foes”, all are ours. We have become so united, until that time we were not like that. We all became a family – this misfortune united us,” the UOC parishioners emphasized.

We recall that on February 3, 2019, OCU activists drove the UOC community of the village of Mikhailivka out of the local church, based on the results of the vote the day before. Voting on the transfer of the UOC community to the OCU was held at a meeting of the territorial community, which was attended by both local residents (most of whom did not go to church) and people brought from neighbouring villages. Instead of the church grabbed by the supporters of the OCU, the community began to build a new one, and on January 2, 2020, it already received 5 golden domes for it.

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