OCU seeks UOC church where “Bishop” Lotysh’s father served until death
In Bohodukhivka, Cherkasy Oblast, OCU supporters are planning to take over a UOC church following the death of its rector.
In the village of Bohodukhivka, Cherkasy Oblast, supporters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) are planning to take over the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) parish dedicated to St. Alexis the Man of God, where the father of OCU “Bishop” Avraamiy Lotysh served as rector until his death, Deacon Andriy Hlushchenko reported on Facebook.
Archpriest Mykhailo Lotysh passed away on October 21, 2026. Although his son joined the OCU in 2023 and became a “bishop” and “abbot” of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra within that organization, Fr. Mykhailo remained faithful to the UOC until the end of his life. No attempt was made to seize the church by force during his lifetime, but immediately after his death, activists began preparing to “transfer” the parish to the OCU.
A Church of Sts. Peter and Paul had stood in Bohodukhivka since the late 18th century before being destroyed during the Soviet era. The UOC religious community was officially registered in 1991 under the legal name “Parish of Peter and Paul.” Between 2008 and 2010, village native Oleksiy Prylypka built a new church for the parishioners, which was consecrated in honor of St. Alexis the Man of God.
Local authorities have scheduled a meeting to “transfer” the parish for November 14, 2026. Rather than holding it at the church, they plan to convene it at the local community center, inviting all village residents instead of limiting participation to regular parishioners, as required by law.
As the UOJ previously reported, Fr. Mykhailo Lotysh never joined the OCU despite his son’s appointment as its “Lavra abbot.”
