Metropolitan Victor prays with persecuted UOC parish in Starokostiantyniv
Liturgy in the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in the city of Starokostiantyniv. Photo: Khmelnytskyi Eparchy
On January 8, 2026, on the feast of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos, Metropolitan Victor of Khmelnytskyi and Starokostiantyniv led the festal Divine Liturgy at the persecuted UOC parish of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Starokostiantyniv. This was reported by the press service of the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy.
Concelebrating with the hierarch were the eparchy secretary, Archpriest Oleksandr Rybchynskyi; the dean of the Starokostiantyniv district, Archpriest Vasyl Droniuk; Archimandrite Feodosiy (Slobodianiuk); and clerics of the eparchy.
During the service, special prayers were offered for peace, for Ukraine’s defending soldiers, and for all those who have suffered from the war.
After the service, the hierarch addressed the faithful with a pastoral word and congratulated them on the feast of the Nativity of Christ. Pupils of the Sunday school presented a Christmas program, after which the metropolitan handed out sweet gifts to the children. The celebration concluded with the communal singing of carols.
As the UOJ previously reported, on April 8, 2023, a crowd of OCU supporters seized from believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos in the city of Starokostiantyniv.
Read also
Streets to be closed in Volodymyr over Dumenko's visit
In Volodymyr, traffic will be partially restricted on streets due to the arrival of OCU leader Dumenko.
MP urges Uniates to help OCU with transitions of UOC churches
Solomiya Bobrovska complained about the "freezing" of the situation with community transitions and accused the OCU and UGCC of insufficient work with UOC believers.
Ukraine’s ombudsman expresses concern over defending Constantinople Patriarchate
Lubinets said Russia’s accusations against Patriarch Bartholomew are unfounded.
Head of schismatic “Church of Montenegro” files an appeal to Phanar
The head of the “Church of Montenegro” has addressed the Ecumenical Patriarch, asking for a review of his canonical case.
OCU “metropolitan”: It's a disgrace that Ukrainian people are fighting TRC
Mykhailo Zinkevych said Ukraine’s future is a “militarized state – and there is no other way.”
Romania’s Church tops public trust rankings – poll
According to a sociological survey, more than 63% of Romanian citizens reported a high level of trust in the country’s Orthodox Church.