New altar consecrated in renovated church of UOC’s Zhytomyr Eparchy
Metropolitan Nikodym led the celebrations in the village of Vertokiivka and urged the faithful to preserve the joy of Pascha in their hearts.
On May 20, 2026, the leave-taking of Pascha, Metropolitan Nikodym of Zhytomyr and Novohrad-Volynskyi celebrated the Divine Liturgy and performed the rite of consecration of the altar at St. Nicholas Church in the village of Vertokiivka, the Zhytomyr Eparchy press service reported.
Praying together with the hierarch were Archimandrite Gavriil (Vardaev), confessor of the Zhytomyr Eparchy; Archpriest Dimitriy Novytskyi, dean of the district church округа; Archpriest Viktor Holubovskyi, dean of the city church district; and other visiting clergy. Abbess Serafima (Meleshchuk), superior of the Savior-Protection Convent, also prayed at the Liturgy together with the sisters of the monastery.
In his sermon, Metropolitan Nikodym congratulated the church rector, Archpriest Vladyslav Starushyk, and the local community on a historic day in the life of the parish. He wished the faithful that their renovated church would always be a place of encounter with God, and called on every Christian to treasure the joy of the Risen Christ.
As previously reported by the UOJ, a new church was consecrated in the village of Levkiv to replace the one seized by the OCU. The consecration of the restored church and its new altar is a testimony to the constructive mission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which, even in difficult times, continues to restore holy places and strengthen the spiritual life of the people.
