In Staryi Vovchynets, notorious chaplain fails to arrange transition to OCU

A meeting at the House of Culture in the village of Staryi Vovchynets. Photo: FB Hryshchuk

On February 11, 2024, the controversial chaplain of the OCU, Roman Hryshchuk, organized a meeting at the House of Culture in the village of Staryi Vovchynets to transfer the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church to Dumenko's jurisdiction, the religious community reported to the UOJ. Since the meeting was unsuccessful, Hryshchuk announced it as a "prayer for Ukraine" on his Facebook page.

As UOJ sources reported, Hryshchuk, who lives in this village but "serves" in the neighboring Hlyboka, was only able to gather about 20 of his supporters in Staryi Vovchynets, with another 30 brought from the surrounding areas. More than 300 UOC believers attended the meeting, and Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi came to support the Nativity of the Virgin Mary church community with clergy.

At the meeting, Hryshchuk claimed that this was "his village" and that "his people" came to the meeting because they wanted to "listen only to him". Therefore, he was extremely discontent with the arrival of the UOC hierarch. In turn, Metropolitan Meletiy stated at the meeting that Hryshchuk, using the goodwill of the authorities, travels around the villages of Chernivtsi region, initiates conflicts, and sows discord. The "priest" of the OCU objected to the hierarch, stating that this was "his sacred duty". He also asked Metropolitan Meletiy, "what the hell" the UOC "had come to Bukovyna" for.

As a result, people began to chant together "Get Roman away from Bukovyna." According to the UOJ information, Hryshchuk's event to transfer the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Church to the OCU was disrupted.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that UOC churches in Sokyriany, Lenkivtsi, and other villages are seized by the same people, supervised by Hryshchuk.

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