Church consecrated in Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God Complex in Kovel

Consecration of the Church in Honor of St. Sergius in Kovel. Photo: Volodymyr-Volynsky Eparchy

On May 8, 2025, Metropolitan Volodymyr of Volodymyr-Volynsky and Kovel consecrated the Church in honor of St. Sergius on the grounds of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God Church Complex of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in Kovel, Volyn. This was reported by the diocesan press service.

The archbishop was accompanied by clergy of the Kovel district, led by the dean, Archpriest Volodymyr Rovinsky, who is also the rector of the church.

After the consecration ceremony, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the newly consecrated altar.

During the service, Metropolitan Volodymyr awarded Archpriest Vitaliy Popko with a second pectoral cross adorned with decorations, and Priest Vasyl Hlushak with a gold pectoral cross.

At the end of the service, the UOC hierarch congratulated the clergy and the community on the consecration of the church.

By the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the rector of the parish, Archpriest Volodymyr Rovinsky, was awarded the Church Order of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr, and Matushka Kateryna Rovinska received the Order of the Pochaiv Icon of the Mother of God.

The senior sister of the church community, Halyna Yahodinets, was awarded the Order of St. Righteous Anna on the occasion of her 70th birthday.

"The celebration continued with a relaxed and friendly gathering over a modest brotherly meal in the church garden. According to tradition, Divine Liturgies will be celebrated daily for seven days in the newly consecrated Church of St. Sergius," the statement reads.

As previously reported by UOJ, the court has set a new date for the eviction of the UOC community from the cathedral in Volodymyr.

Read also

OCU accuses UOC-KP members of “crimes against canonical order”

The leadership of the OCU has asserted its exclusive right to the Kyiv Patriarchate brand and threatened punishment against Nikodym Kobzar and his associates.

UOC clergy deliver aid to frontline monasteries and parishes

Clergy of the Kyiv Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church delivered aid to frontline monasteries and parishes that provide daily support to refugees and the needy.

Vinnytsia region bans religious processions and pilgrimages until December

Vinnytsia’s Defense Council has imposed strict restrictions on believers ahead of the Easter holidays.

Nicaraguan authorities release 1,200 prisoners for Holy Week

In Nicaragua, more than a thousand inmates were released from prison during Holy Week and sent home under a “family cohabitation” regime, with an appeal to begin a “new life.”

Roman Catholics launch petition for return of historic building in Odesa

The Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine says there is a risk of losing the building and is urging people to support a petition calling for the return of a historic seminary property in Odesa to the Catholic community.

Fire breaks out near Holy Trinity Church in Kharkiv after shelling

A large fire broke out near the Holy Trinity Church in Kharkiv following a strike by Russian forces, while the church itself, according to the eparchy, was not damaged.