In Dumenko's native village, OCU “priest” caught breaking into a UOC church

"Priest" of the OCU with an angle grinder at a UOC church. Photo: screenshot from the Chernivtsi Eparchy telegram

On the evening of May 27, 2023, in the village of Stara Zhadova, Chernivtsi region, an OCU “priest” attempted to cut the locks off the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel using an angle grinder, the press service of the Chernivtsi Eparchy reported on Telegram.

“The father who serves the 'god of the Angle Grinder' is sawing the doors of the Orthodox church in the village of Stara Zhadova in Bukovyna,” the press service wrote, noting that parishioners, hearing loud noise and scraping at their church, found the “priest” standing there with an angle grinder in his hands.

“What are you doing?! This is a sin!” parishioners shouted at the “father” with the grinder. They pushed him back and called the police. Afterwards, dozens of believers kept vigil at their church overnight.

The village of Stara Zhadova is the native village of Serhiy Dumenko.

As the UOJ previously reported, back in 2019 there had already been attempts to seize the church. The husband of Epifaniy’s “godmother” broke the lock, after which OCU activists entered the church. At that time as well, the parishioners managed to defend their shrine from being taken.

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