His Beatitude expresses condolences over repose of Metropolitan Vissarion
His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine expressed his condolences to the clergy, monastics, and laity of the Ovruch Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church following the death of its ruling hierarch, Metropolitan Vissarion (Stretovych) of Ovruch and Korosten, the UOC Information and Education Department reports.
In his message, the UOC Primate noted that Metropolitan Vissarion devoted nearly his entire life to serving the Church – from his first years of pastoral ministry to decades of archpastoral care for his flock. Metropolitan Onuphry emphasized that the hierarch’s life was inseparably linked with the Polissia region, where he began his priestly ministry, was called to the episcopate, and headed the Ovruch Eparchy for 34 years. During his tenure, church communities were revived, monasteries were opened, and churches were built.
His Beatitude also recalled that the final years of Metropolitan Vissarion’s life were marked by a serious illness, which he endured with patience, and that before his repose he received the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
“As we accompany our brother and fellow hierarch on the way of all the earth, let us offer heartfelt prayers to the merciful Lord, asking Him to receive the soul of His servant into the dwelling place of the righteous, forgive all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and make him a partaker of the eternal joy of His Heavenly Kingdom,” the message of condolence reads.
Metropolitan Onuphry blessed Metropolitan Nikodym of Zhytomyr and Novohrad-Volynskyi to preside over the funeral service for the departed hierarch.
As the UOJ reported, Metropolitan Vissarion (Stretovych) died on September 18, 2026, at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness.
