“Miriane” to hold prayer standing in Novozhyvotiv expecting church seizure

The Holy Intercession Church of the UOC in the village of Novozhyvotiv. Photo: news.church.ua

October 14, 2021, on the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, the laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church will gather for the prayer standing in the village of Novozhyvotiv, Vinnytsia region, where OCU activists want to seize the Holy Intercession Church of the Tulchin Eparchy.

“The NGO “Miriane” (“Laity”) urges to support the local community on their saint patron’s day.

“We decided to pray to the Most Holy Theotokos tomorrow together with them, to ask for the protection of the Intercessor from all evil,” the public organization reported on its TG channel. “We invite all Orthodox laity, especially from neighboring regions, to come to the Holy Intercession Church, located in the village of Novozhyvotiv, Vinnytsia region, at the address: 48B Naberezhnaya Street and join our prayer standing in honor of the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos at 8 a.m. tomorrow, October 14. Let's support the affected community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church together."

As reported, a group of OCU supporters plans to seize the temple in Novozhyvotiv on the Day of Intercession of the Mosy Holy Theotokos. The local residents were invited to come out on a "march of the ATO participants", who, as they assume, will become the main asset of the seizure. According to journalists, law enforcement officers know about the plans of the OCU activists but are not going to interfere.

As a reminder, on October 3, the raiders cut off the locks on the Holy Intercession Church and hung up their own. On October 5 they entered the church and locked themselves inside. The invaders refer to the court decision of September 6, which partially satisfied the claim of the OCU activists who wanted to get the keys to the temple. The court denied them access to the keys but ordered the representatives of the Tulchin Eparchy of the UOC not to block access to the premises of the church.

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