A church built by persecuted UOC community burned down in Volyn
Burnt church in Stari Koshary. Photo: Volodymyr-Volyn Eparchy
The Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) reported that a newly constructed church in the village of Stari Koshary in the Kovel district was set on fire. The incident occurred on the morning of September 26. The church, which is being built in honor of the Protection of the Holy Theotokos, belongs to the UOC religious community.
It is reported that this church is being constructed to replace the previous one, dedicated to the Apostle John the Theologian, which was taken over by supporters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in 2019 on Holy Wednesday. The arson was reported by the community’s priest, Archpriest Andriy Khomych.
According to him, the suspect in the arson had been threatening the priest and members of the UOC community for a long time. The community had previously reported these threats to the police and provided appropriate testimonies.
As reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ), on September 4, 2024, a church dedicated to the Protection of the Holy Theotokos burned down in the village of Zeremlia in the Baranivka district of the Zhytomyr region. The cause of the fire was arson.
Read also
Priests and laity of Rivne Eparchy donate blood for children with cancer
In Rivne, the UOC clergy and laity have donated blood for children undergoing treatment for cancer.
Kyiv seminary students meet with People’s Artist Larisa Kadochnikova
Students of Kyiv’s theological schools spoke with the legend of Ukrainian cinema, who shared her memories of filming "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors".
Bancheny Monastery reports provocation
The UOC monastery in Bancheny has reported a provocation by unidentified individuals.
Romanian Church to hold joint prayer for peace in Ukraine
On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, special prayers for an end to the hostility will be offered in all churches of the Romanian Patriarchate, both in the country and abroad.
Armenian bishops call on authorities to stop Church persecution
At a meeting in Austria, hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church reaffirmed their faithfulness to Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians and called on the authorities to stop the persecution of the clergy.
Italian media: Ukrainian authorities persecute the country’s largest confession
The Italian outlet L’Identità reported on mass searches, the arrests of clergy, and the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which it describes as the largest Church in Ukraine.