UOC priest: COVID-19 provokes increase in number of parishioners in Crimea
Priest Valentin Melnik. Photo: zhenmirkerch.church.ua
Over the past year and a half, the number of parishioners in the temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Crimea has noticeably increased, the rector of the Kerch Church of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women of the Feodosia Eparchy of the UOC, Priest Valentin Melnyk, told news.allcrimea.net.
He believes that this is due to the coronavirus pandemic, when the number of sick people who need support during the trial has increased, and the Church for them is a kind of "spiritual clinic". “Recently there have been more parishioners. Also, there are significantly more of those who want to be baptized. They even come from other regions,” Father Valentin said.
At the same time, the priest noted that fewer people began to attend church holidays due to quarantine restrictions.
As reported, a new UOC church was laid in Sevastopol in the village of Lyubimovka.
Read also
Priests and laity of Rivne Eparchy donate blood for children with cancer
In Rivne, the UOC clergy and laity have donated blood for children undergoing treatment for cancer.
Kyiv seminary students meet with People’s Artist Larisa Kadochnikova
Students of Kyiv’s theological schools spoke with the legend of Ukrainian cinema, who shared her memories of filming "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors".
Bancheny Monastery reports provocation
The UOC monastery in Bancheny has reported a provocation by unidentified individuals.
Romanian Church to hold joint prayer for peace in Ukraine
On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, special prayers for an end to the hostility will be offered in all churches of the Romanian Patriarchate, both in the country and abroad.
Armenian bishops call on authorities to stop Church persecution
At a meeting in Austria, hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church reaffirmed their faithfulness to Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians and called on the authorities to stop the persecution of the clergy.
Italian media: Ukrainian authorities persecute the country’s largest confession
The Italian outlet L’Identità reported on mass searches, the arrests of clergy, and the ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which it describes as the largest Church in Ukraine.