Temple seized in vlg. Zhidychin in Volyn, parishioners injured

The temple of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Zhidychin village of Kivertsy district

On February 22, 2019, a group of raiders, including representatives of the UOC KP from the regional center, cut locks, seized the St. Nicholas temple of the UOC in the village of Zhidychin, Kivertsy district, Volyn region. As the UOJ correspondent reports, this time it was not without clashes, the wives of the rector and cleric of the temple suffered.

Protopriest Vladimir Geleta has been the rector of the temple in the village of Zhidychin for about 30 years and defended his community and church as early as the 90s. Recall, then representatives of the Kiev Patriarchate, in order to influence his convictions, stole his son for several hours, a three-year-old Roman, who is now also ordained and serves in the clergy of his father’s parish.

According to priest Roman, the raiders first showed up at the rector’s place and demanded keys. Having received a refusal, the assault group went to the temple, armed with a grinder, and cut off the locks. Then, on the territory of the temple appeared "abbot" of the monastery of the UOC KP in Lutsk, Nikodim. According to the press service of the Volyn diocese of the UOC, the students of the theological academy of the the Kiev Patriarchate were also seen near the church.

In addition to local residents, many outsiders were brought to the temple, including in balaclava. The UOC community did not depart from its temple. In the process of confrontation with the raiders, the wife of priest Roman was hit with a stone under her eye, while the spouse of  Protopriest Vladimir – a blow to the forehead. Both women went to verify their injuries.

As the UOJ reported, on February 9, 2019, believers in the Volyn village of Zhidychin held a community meeting and reaffirmed their loyalty to the UOC in order to defend themselves against the claims of the “monastery” of the UOC KP to their church.

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