In Vaslovivtsi, foundation of new church consecrated to replace seized one
Prayer service at the laying of the church foundation. Photo: UOJ
On September 22, 2025, in the Bukovyna village of Vaslovivtsi, the foundation of a new UOC church in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos was laid, the community told the UOJ. The laying of the foundation and its consecration were led by Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna. Bishop Nikita of Ivano-Frankivsk and the clergy of the Chernivtsi Eparchy also took part in the service. Several dozen parishioners prayed at the consecration ceremony.
As a reminder, in October 2023, on the 1,725th day of the UOC believers’ continuous prayer vigil at the parish of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, supporters of the OCU, together with “titushky” in balaclavas and backed by the police, seized the church.
Since then, the persecuted community of Vaslovivtsi has been forced to hold divine services outdoors or in a tent near a small chapel.
Read also
DESS official says state should not govern the Church
A DESS official called for cooperation between the state and the Church for the benefit of citizens.
Poltava court upholds mobilization of Protestant pastor
A court in the Poltava region ruled that a prior criminal conviction and religious beliefs do not exempt a person from military service.
Ostapenko: Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra would not exist without Soviet-era reserve
The reserve director spoke about the Soviet museum’s role in saving the monastery, while stressing the need to rethink its history.
Metropolitan Anthony criticizes DESS order on Boryspil Eparchy
The UOC chancellor rejected officials’ findings, pointing to procedural violations in the DESS review.
Two more parishes in Sloviansk reregistered under OCU
The organizer behind the transfer of UOC communities in Sloviansk said the reregistration of churches would continue.
Hasidic pilgrims leave mountains of trash in Uman after Rosh Hashanah
Uman’s municipal services are struggling to clear residential neighborhoods after the Hasidic pilgrimage.