UOC community in vlg. Susval building temple to replace seised one by OCU

The foundation of the future temple of the UOC in the village of Susval. Photo: UOJ

The community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Susval, Volodymyr-Volynsky district, Volyn region, which suffered from the raider actions of the OCU, has begun to build a new church. As reported by a UOJ correspondent, the believers prepared the foundation of the future holy monastery in less than a week, and on September 7, 2021, the first blocks were brought to the construction site.

According to the community's rector, Father Bohdan Hnatiuk, they chose for themselves and the future church the patronage of the icon of the Mother of God “Seven-Shot” (“Softening Evil Hearts”).

With this image, people went out to defend their former church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, which, as a result of a year-long confrontation, with the help of the authorities, was taken by the OCU. This year, the community already gathered on one of the days of the glorification of the icon "Seven-Shot", the first week after Pentecost, as for a patronal feast.

Those wishing to support the construction of a new church in the Volodymyr-Volynsky Eparchy of the UOC can transfer funds to card number 4149 4390 4958 3291 (Bohdan Nikolayevich Hnatiuk, +380986231143) or provide other support to the affected community.

As reported, the UOC community in the village of Susval was illegally re-registered to the OCU on March 26, 2019, which was later challenged in court. On January 31, 2020, by a decision of law enforcement officers, the UOC temple in Susval was sealed until the conflict was resolved in court. On February 14, 2020, at about 21:30 pm, a group of raiders – OCU activists – with pre-prepared tools, locks, a grinder, and a generator broke into the territory of the Holy Nativity of the Theotokos Church. As a result, the authorities decided to transfer the temple to the OCU.

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