UOC hierarch lays foundation stone for church construction in Serkhiv

Erection of a cross and laying of a stone at the construction site of a new church of the UOC in the village of Serkhiv of the Volyn Eparchy of the UOC. Photo: Facebook page of the CF "Favor"

The vicar of the Volyn Eparchy of the UOC, Bishop Athanasius of Kamen-Kashirsky, on July 7, 2021, in the village of Serkhiv of Manevichi district, Volyn region, erected a cross and laid a stone at the construction site of a new church of the Holy Protection community of the UOC, which had previously lost its temple due to the raiding by the OCU, reports the CF "Favor" on its Facebook page.

On the feast of the Nativity of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, Bishop Athanasius celebrated the Divine Liturgy in a private house adapted for a temple in the village of Serkhiv. "Vladyka Athanasius, together with the rector and clergy of the eparchy, visited the construction of the Church of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos ‘Joy of All Who Sorrow’, where he erected a cross and laid a stone at the construction site of a new church, which the community is building instead of the one taken away from them by the OCU supporters," reports the CF "Favor".

As reported, the UOC community in the village of Serkhiv became one of the objects of church raiding in early 2019, when the meeting of the territorial community of the village decided to transfer the church to the OCU, and the local authorities subsequently legalized the “transition”. It took Abbot Vasily Popovich and the parishioners almost two years to get the village council to allocate land and issue permits for the construction of a new church of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Joy of All Who Sorrow".

Read also