OCU church in Kosmach cancels Christmas services due to calendar disputes

Sts. Peter and Paul's Church of the OCU in the village of Kosmach, Ivano-Frankivsk region. Photo: turson.at.ua

On January 7, 2026, Christmas services did not take place either on December 25 or on January 7 at Sts. Peter and Paul's Church of the OCU in the village of Kosmach, Ivano-Frankivsk region, due to ongoing calendar disagreements within the community, as reported by Suspilne Ivano-Frankivsk.

According to local residents, on January 7, believers came to the church expecting a liturgy, which had been previously announced on social media. However, the "community head" of the OCU, Vasyl Kyfor, was absent from the church, and the service was not conducted.

The head of the local village council, Dmytro Mokhnachuk, explained that the "OCU priest" could not be present due to health reasons. "I was not there today, but as far as I know, the deacon read the akathist, and the choir sang carols. There were no confrontations among the parishioners. There was no priest, and there was no Christmas service," he stated.

Later, the "rector" Vasyl Kyfor expressed his position on his Facebook page, linking his health deterioration to the conflict over the date of Christmas celebration. "The conflict regarding the celebration of Christmas on December 25 or January 7 affected my health. I am ready to serve all parishioners – both those who celebrate according to the old style and those who celebrate according to the new –  but only with the blessing of the bishop and in the absence of obstacles," wrote the "priest".

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Zelensky declared January 7 as Programmer's Day.

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