Persecuted UOC parish in Chervona Dibrova celebrates patronal feast

The Bishop of Ivano-Frankivsk led the patronal feast celebrations at a church being built by a UOC community whose former church was seized by OCU supporters.

The persecuted UOC community dedicated to St. Paraskeva of Serbia in the village of Chervona Dibrova, Hlyboka Deanery, celebrated its second patronal feast in the church it is building to replace the one seized by the OCU, the faithful of the UOC's Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy reported on Facebook.

The festive Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Nikita of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomyia, concelebrating with parish rector Fr. Mykola Shtyrbu and other eparchial clergy.

During the service, the bishop and clergy offered prayers for peace in Ukraine, deliverance from the enemy, the protection of those who have lost their homes and fallen into despair, and God's blessings upon benefactors and those helping people in need.

At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the clergy offered a service of praise to St. Paraskeva. Bishop Nikita then delivered a homily, congratulated the parishioners on their patronal feast, and encouraged them to remain united and continue their dedicated work for the glory of God.

In response, Fr. Mykola Shtyrbu thanked the bishop for celebrating the service, the clergy for their prayers together, and the parishioners for their love, faithfulness, and unwavering support.

In 2019, OCU supporters, assisted by state registrar Mykola Herheliuk, seized the community's former church through what the UOC describes as an illegal transfer of its registration to the OCU.

On April 14, 2021, UOC parishioners erected a cross at the site of their future church and have been steadily building their new house of worship ever since.

As the UOJ previously reported on how Roman Hryshchuk, an OCU activist in Bukovyna, organizes church seizures.