Healing in Katerynivka: film about the faithful from seizure to new church

A film about the faithful of the UOC in Katerinovka. Photo: a video screenshot of the UOJ YouTube channel

The YouTube channel of the Union of Orthodox Journalists released the second film of “The Faithful” series, “Healing in Katerynivka”, the story about the life of the faithful of the canonical Church, who survived the bloody seizure of St. George’s Church in 2015, did not fall into despair but became stronger and built a new temple of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon.

The film tells about the events of September 21, 2015, when on the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, schismatics from the UOC-KP, together with radicals from the "Right Sector" and with the assistance of local authorities, seized the St. George the Victorious Church in the village of Katerynivka, Ternopil region.

“The faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church defended their shrine as best they could – they were unarmed and tried to negotiate. But the invaders were aggressive, using clubs and tear gas while the faithful sang prayer hymns and exposed themselves to blows. People, defending their holy temple, received a concussion, fractures of limbs and ribs. About 20 people were injured, among them were teenagers, seminarians from Pochaiv. As a result, the temple was taken away with blood, trampling on the law and God's commandments. The faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church attempted to return their church peacefully and in a legal manner but everything, the whole system – from local officials to courts – was against them,” the filmmakers recalled.

The believers prayed in the street, at the fence of the seized temple but did not fall into despair, got united, became stronger and began to build a new temple of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, whose miraculous help is known to many.

All this is covered in video footage and in the stories of the faithful of the UOC from Katerynivka.

Earlier, the UOJ reported about the release of the film "Faithful: A Hymn of Love", a touching story about Christians from the villages of Butyn and Kinakhivtsi, who, having lost two churches, did not lose love for each other and for their offenders.

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