In Verkhnі Stanivtsі, persecuted community celebrates saint patron feast

The UOC parish of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Bukovynian village of Verkhnі Stanivtsi. Photo: Orthobuk

On May 22, 2025, the parish of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (UOC) in the Bukovynian village of Verkhni Stanivtsi, from which OCU raiders forcibly took the church, celebrated its patronal feast. This was reported on the Orthobuk Telegram channel.

"St. Nicholas put to shame the bandit Roman Hryshchuk, just as he once put to shame the wicked Arius. Today in Verkhni Stanivtsi, on the weekday of May 22, a multitude of Orthodox Christians gathered to glorify St. Nicholas,Є the message states.

The Orthodox Bukovнnians noted that the raiders took away from the faithful Christians the "walls of the church, but they did not take away faith, warm hearts, and the courage to profess the Orthodox faith".

Young parishioners shared on that day that for them the church is faith, love, soul, life, and hope, beautiful prayers, a place to glorify God and where a special grace reigns. The rector, Father Ihor, taught them to love, protect, forgive people, never to be angry, and never to give up.

"For me, the church is not just a building, but a place where I pray to God. The church is life," the young Christian concluded.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Verkhni Stanivtsi, Metropolitan Meletiy consecrated a premises for the persecuted community.

Let us remind that the OCU clergy were able to seize the St. Nicholas Church in Verkhni Stanivtsi only with the help of the police. The assault took place on April 12, on Lazarus Saturday. The first attempted seizure, which OCU cleric R. Hryshchuk and his accomplices made on the night of April 8-9, was unsuccessful; the parishioners expelled them from their church.

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