Rector of UOC church in Mykhailivka about miracles after raider seizure

Archpriest Vitaly Chersky. Photo: screenshot of the Vitrazhi video youtube-channel

Archpriest Vitaly Chersky, rector of the church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Source" of Mykhailivka village, Chernivtsi region, in Analitika program on the Vitrazhi youtube channel, said that after the seizure of the church by the OCU supporters, the Lord showed His miracles.

“They (adepts of the OCU – Ed.) gathered a rural community; lots of people came who are not church-goers in order to transfer the temple (to the OCU – Ed.). On February 3, 2019, they decided to take away the temple, there were no confrontations, we chose to be refrain from violence and deferred to them. It was very difficult for the parishioners who are faithful to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, but the Lord immediately showed us His miracles. On February 4, less than a day after the seizure of the church, a kind person offered to donate money to us to buy a house and with God's help we served in that house throughout Great Lent,” said Father Vitaly.

According to the priest, no one could believe that the Lord so quickly granted a place for the service, and in the summer of the same year another person turned to the priest to help build a new temple. On August 29, 2019, the priest consecrated the foundation stone of a new church, and a year later, on August 29, 2020, the throne in the temple was consecrated.

“I thank the parishioners and benefactors, first of all, Andrei Biba. Today construction is underway, there are some problems, but we feel the joy and love of God. God showed us miracles, we thank God for everything,” the priest added.

Recall that on February 3, 2019, the OCU activists expelled the UOC community in the village of Mykhailivka from the local church, based on the results of the vote held the day before. The vote on the transfer of the community of the canonical Church to the OCU was held at a meeting of the territorial community, in which both local residents (most of whom did not go to church) and people brought from neighboring villages took part. The community of the canonical Church began to build a new temple to replace the one seized by the OCU followers. On August 29, 2020, in the village of Mykhailivka, a new church of the UOC was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-giving source".

As the UOJ previously reported, a new UOC temple was consecrated in Mykhailivka, built to replace the one seized by the OCU.

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