Abp Nathanael visits community in vlg Naviz after church seizure

The UOC community in the village of Naviz with Archbishop Nathanael. Photo: pravoslavna.volyn.ua

On October 14, on the feast of the Intercession of the Virgin, Archbishop Nathanael (Krikota) of Volyn and Lutsk celebrated the Divine Liturgy with the UOC community in the village of Naviz of the Rozhysche Deanery, which suffered from church raiding committed by OCU supporters the day before, reports the press service of the Volyn Eparchy.

The festive Liturgy was served in a rural house converted into a temporary prayer house.

Besides the ruling bishop, the secretary of the eparchy, Archpriest Nikolai Bondaruk, the vice secretary of the eparchy, Archpriest Valery Muchak, the dean of the Rozhische district, Archpriest Pyotr Ivanichko, and the head of the office, Archimandrite Paisiy (Khomich), also arrived to support the believers. The rector of the parish, Archpriest Anatoly Ostapchuk, concelebrated with the archpastor.

The choir of priests of the cathedral under the direction of Protodeacon Mikhail Abramchuk contributed to the celebration with singing.

The service ended with the rite of glorification of the Virgin in front of the icon of the patronal feast. Vladyka addressed the believers with a sermon. The archpastor supported the parishioners and thanked them for remaining faithful to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Vladyka Nathanael called on the community to continue worthily bearing the light of Christ in their hearts to everyone who needs it. The hierarch thanked the believers for their steadfastness and wished to continue to be worthy to be called Christians. To do this, you need, overcoming personal grievances and heartache, to rely in your life on our Lord, Who is love. After all, this love is precisely evidence that we are truly Christians, the archbishop noted.

As reported, on October 13, 2021, on the eve of the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, supporters of the OCU cut off the locks on the Assumption Church of the UOC in the village of Naviz, Volyn region and entered the temple. 

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