Perevaly believers start building a new church to replace seized temple

Water-blessing prayer in the village of Perevaly. Photo: UOJ

Water-blessing prayer in the village of Perevaly. Photo: UOJ

On November 10, 2021, with the blessing of the head of the Volodymyr-Volynsky Eparchy, Metropolitan Volodymyr of Volodymyr-Volynsky and Kovel, the rector of the Holy Dormition community in the village of Perevaly, Archpriest Vitaliy Chaban, consecrated the foundation of a new church of the UOC in the village of Perevaly, reports a UOJ correspondent.

During the water-blessing prayer service, the rector of the Holy Dormition community of the UOC was concelebrated by the clergy of the Volodymyr-Volynsky Eparchy.

The Holy Dormition community of the UOC in the village of Perevaly, which suffered from the raiding of the OCU in 2019, received land for the construction of a new church by the decision of the council of the Turiisk United Territorial Community. Since the legal entity of the UOC parish was re-registered in favour of the OCU, the local authorities found a way out: they gave a plot of land to the UOC community in the neighbouring village of Torgovyshche.

Like many other UOC parishes affected by the raiders, the community has been de facto preserved and continues to operate. While the temple is being built, the UOC community is gathering in a building leased for the needs of the believers by the local authorities.

As a reminder, on January 3, 2021, the UOC community in the village of Perevaly was appointed a new abbot, Archpriest Vitaliy Chaban. At this time, the former rector Yuri Bilovus, who joined the OCU, no longer served in the parish, although he continues to be a Perevaly resident.

In 2019, the parish of the UOC in Perevaly became one of the targets of the raider seizure by the OCU activists in the Turiisk region (liquidated as a result of the reform). The legal entity was transferred to the OCU by the order of the leadership of the Volyn Regional State Administration dated June 7, 2019.

As previously reported, the UOC community in Perevaly is building a new temple to replace the seized one by the OCU.

Ukraine must have its own faith: Poroshenko's party lays out peace terms

Poroshenko’s party European Solidarity described church policy as a matter of national sovereignty and said there can be no compromises in this area.

432 UOC churches damaged in Ukraine during war, report says

According to the Religion on Fire project, 807 religious buildings in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed as a result of hostilities.

DESS official gives number of clergy exempt from mobilization in Ukraine

A DESS representative said the actual number of clergy exempt from mobilization is significantly lower than the number of religious organizations designated as critical.

Cabinet keeps gas prices unchanged for religious organizations

The Cabinet has fixed gas prices for religious organizations through the end of the 2026–2027 heating season.

Concert held at seized Cherkasy cathedral

The OCU thanked the musical ensemble for choosing the Cherkasy cathedral as the venue for a Baroque music concert.

OCU activist admits breaking into UOC church in Sloviansk

Oleksandr Onyshchenko said that the OCU held its first "service" at the Seraphim Church, which had previously been broken into by forcing the locks and doors.