In Ust-Putyla, persecuted UOC parish celebrates its patronal feast
The UOC parish in the village of Ust-Putyla. Photo: Facebook of the faithful of the Chernivtsi Eparchy
On October 27, 2025, the community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Ust-Putyla of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy celebrated the patronal feast of Saint Paraskeva in the fifth month of round-the-clock vigil and prayer standing in the church. This was reported by the eparchy's ress service.
The Divine Liturgy at the Paraskeva Church was led by the dean of the Putyla district, the rector of the parish, Archpriest Dmytro Symchuk. He was concelebrated by the clergy of the eparchy. During the Liturgy, the clergy offered prayers for peace in Ukraine, deliverance from the enemy, protection of those who lost their homes, and for the blessing of people of goodwill who help those in need.
After the conclusion of the Liturgy, a water blessing service was held, followed by a procession around the church with the reading of the Holy Gospel and the sprinkling of the faithful with holy water. At the end of the procession, the rector addressed the clergy and parishioners with words of gratitude for the communal prayer on the patronal feast.
As reported by the UOJ, the Paraskeva community of the village of Ust-Putyla has been maintaining a continuous round-the-clock vigil in the church since May 22, 2025, when the faithful of the UOC managed to regain control over their shrine. On the morning of May 21, a group of supporters of the OCU forcibly seized the church, breaking the locks and barricading themselves inside. The police guarded the entrance, and the UOC parishioners were not allowed to enter the shrine for about 13 hours. Around 2 a.m. on May 22, 2025, the parishioners of the Paraskeva Church managed to re-enter their church and perform a night Divine Liturgy.
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