Believers in Maliatyntsi pray outdoors after seizure of their church

Worship in Maliatyntsi outdoors. Photo: Facebook of the St. Nicholas community

On March 23, 2025, more than one hundred members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) community in the village of Maliatyntsi, Kitsman Deanery, Bukovyna, gathered for Sunday Liturgy in the open air after their church was seized by representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

“They took the church, but they cannot tear faith and prayer from the heart. If there was no faith in the heart, the seizure of God’s church won’t bring it,” reads a statement on the official Facebook page of the St. Nicholas Church.

The seizure reportedly took place during the night of March 21 to 22, 2025. According to eyewitnesses, a group of OCU activists led by Mykola Hergeliuk broke the locks after the evening service, entered the church, and remained inside overnight. Members of the UOC religious community noted that most of those involved in the seizure were not local residents.

The parish rector, Archpriest Mykola Hubka, appealed to the police, requesting that the building be sealed until the conflict is resolved, but his request was denied. Local believers voiced concern that law enforcement had sided with the aggressors.

“It is especially sorrowful that this act was committed during Great Lent – a time of spiritual purification, repentance, and humility. The seizure of a church and breaking of its doors is a grave sin, for true faith cannot be built on violence and disrespect for the sacred,” the community's statement emphasized.

Despite the difficult circumstances, the UOC faithful in Maliatyntsi remain determined to continue their prayer life and preserve the unity of their community.

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