Met Meletiy consecrates worship facility for persecuted parish in Bukovyna
Metropolitan Meletiy blessing parishioners with an icon. Photo: UOJ
On April 16, 2025, Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi consecrated a new prayer space in Verkhnye Stanivtsi for the persecuted St. Nicholas community, whose church had recently been forcibly taken by OCU activists.
According to the community, the new space is part of a café owned by one of the parishioners.
“May the Lord support every person who comes here to ask for His blessing,” the metropolitan said, expressing gratitude to the faithful for their steadfastness and their defense of the faith.
The hierarch presented the community with an icon of the Holy Trinity and blessed the faithful with it.
As previously reported, OCU activists were only able to seize the St. Nicholas Church in Verkhnye Stanivtsi with police assistance. The raid took place on April 12, Lazarus Saturday. A prior attempt, carried out by OCU cleric R. Hryshchuk and his associates on the night of April 8–9, failed when parishioners drove them out of the church.
Read also
German McDonald's removes food from adverts until sunset over Ramadan
In Germany, during the Muslim fast, a fast-food chain hides food images in advertising during the day and shows them only in the evening.
Metropolitan Longin after hearings: Sessions conducted under the rule of law
After the Hertsa Сourt session, the bishop thanked the faithful for their support and called for forgiveness, prayer, and faithfulness to Christ.
Christian series "The Chosen" sets world record for being most widely-translated
The streaming series The Chosen , which explores the life of Jesus and his disciples, has broken its own Guinness World Record for being the most widely-translated series of all time.
US Secretary of Defense to the Army: God extends His arms over you
Pete Hegseth stated that American military personnel are "no longer defenders" but warriors "trained to destroy the enemy."
MP demands answers from Rivne authorities over UOC charity event
Bobrovska expressed outrage that city officials allowed the Rivne Eparchy of the UOC to hold a charity festival that raised money for children with cancer.
In U.S., Archbishop of Albania leads Divine Liturgy on Triumph of Orthodoxy
The Primate of the Albanian Church served in Massachusetts and called for visible unity among Orthodox jurisdictions.