In Zastavna, persecuted UOC parish gathers for prayer in a house chapel

Parish in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Zastavna. Photo: Facebook of the faithful of the Chernivtsi Eparchy

After the forcible seizure of the UOC church in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Zastavna by supporters of the OCU, the parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church continues its prayerful life in a house chapel. On the Facebook page “Faithful of the Chernivtsi–Bukovyna Eparchy of the UOC,” photos and video from the service held on 16 November 2025 were published.

The faithful say that in this small space a special and profound prayer is born – above all, the prayer of children.

“Children who come here with their parents pray for peace, for their families, for our Church, for all who are going through sorrow. Their voices remind us that the Lord remains close not where it is spacious and solemn, but where He is sincerely sought,” the statement says.

The Orthodox faithful of Bukovyna say that, despite losing their church, the community has not lost what is most important – faith, unity, and prayer.

“And children’s hearts, full of trust in God, become a living testimony that no external trials can destroy a true spiritual family,” the faithful add.

Earlier, the UOJ published shocking footage showing an OCU cleric, leading an aggressive crowd, breaking down first the gate of the fence and then the doors of the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos with his own hands. Later, parishioners spoke in a video about the life of the community before and after the seizure.

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