Parishioners chanting at seized church in Ust-Putyla: We are against OCU
The police do not allow UOC parishioners in Ust-Putyla to enter the church. Photo: UOJ
On the day of the Apostle John the Theologian, May 21, 2025, militants of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) seized the St. Paraskeva Church of the UOC in the village of Ust-Putyla in Bukovyna. In a video received from the scene, believers demand that the police allow them into their native church.
Parishioners are chanting: «We are against the OCU!»
They claim that the shrine was seized by people who came from the Ivano-Frankivsk region, under the leadership of the chaplain of the OCU, Hryshchuk.
As reported by the UOJ, the invaders have closed themselves off inside the Orthodox shrine while the police guard them from the parishioners. Those believers who try to enter their shrine are roughly dragged out of the church territory by the police.
Read also
NBU presents commemorative coin “Spirit of Christmas” featuring didukh
The new commemorative coin with a face value of 10 hryvnias, according to the designers’ concept, brings together Christmas motifs and Ukrainian tradition.
Zelensky tells Patriarch Bartholomew about power outage problems
The president spoke about humanitarian difficulties in Ukraine related to the energy situation.
Metropolitan Nafanail consecrates iconostasis in temporary church in Lutsk
On the feast day of St. Spyridon of Trimythous, a hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided over the parish’s patronal celebration.
Pat Daniel awards Pat Bartholomew with order for overcoming schism in BOC
The award was bestowed for organizing the 1998 Council, which conciliar-ly resolved the crisis caused by the schism in the Bulgarian Church.
Persecuted UOC parish in Chernivtsi celebrates its feast day
A festive divine service in honor of St. Spyridon of Trimythous was held in a parish that remains faithful to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church despite attempts to seize the church.
Bulgarian Church Primate arrives in Istanbul
The first official visit of Patriarch Daniel to the Phanar has begun.