Khemlnytsky ruling bishop prays with expelled UOC community in Shpychyntsi

Archbishop Viсtor serves the liturgy in the village of Shpychyntsi. Photo: Facebook page of the Khmelnytskyi diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

On January 27, 2024, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Archbishop Victor of Khmelnytskyi and Starokostiantyniv conducted the Divine Liturgy with the St. Demetrius Parish of the UOC in the village of Shpychyntsi in the Derazhnia UTC. This was reported by the press service of the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy of the UOC.

The service took place in a rural house repurposed for a temporary church. The premises were provided by one of the parishioners after the forceful seizure of the Dmytriv Church by supporters of the OCU.

Archbishop Victor was assisted by the secretary of the eparchy, Archpriest Oleksandr Rybchynskyi, the dean of the Derazhnia district, Archpriest Heorhii Cherniatynskyi, the spiritual mentor of the deanery, Archpriest Borys Ozymchuk, the rector of the parish, Archpriest Volodymyr Dolian, and the clergy of the deanery.

During the litany, participants of the service lifted special prayers to the Lord for peace in Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers, and all those in need.

At the end of the service, the archbishop addressed those present with a sermon.

"Today, it is cramped for us in this little house because the church where you, dear brothers and sisters, used to pray, is inaccessible to us for known reasons," Archbishop Victor noted. "Nevertheless, we have a place to gather and stay in prayer. We must remember that 'where two or three are gathered in My Name, I am there in the midst of them,' says Christ the Savior, our God and Almighty. Today, this small house has become a house of God for all of us because we have gathered here to glorify God, unite with Him, and continue living with Him. And it doesn't matter how decorated or not decorated the walls are; what matters is whether we want to be with God, remain faithful to Him, and stay in the Church of Christ."

The bishop also congratulated those celebrating their namesday, named after the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, and called for God's blessings on everyone.

As reported by the UOJ, the community of the captured Sts Peter and Paul Church of the UOC in Bucha near Kyiv, led by Bishop Arkadiy of Hostomel, conducts services in an adapted space – an assembly hall.

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