UOC believers in Rakov Les in 7 months built a church to replace seized one

The new church of the persecuted UOC community in Rakov Les village in Volyn. Photo: pravoslavna.volyn.ua

On January 10, 2021, the vicar bishop of the Volyn Diocese, Bishop Athanasy (German) of Kamin-Kashirsky, visited and congratulated the persecuted community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the village of Rakov Les, Kamin-Kashirsky district, which in 7 months built a new church for itself, the press service of the Volyn Diocese reports.

During the Divine Liturgy in the newly built church, where the bishop was concelebrated by the rector Rostislav Sizhuk and the clergy of the Volyn Diocese, they offered up a fervent prayer for peace in Ukraine and for the unity of the Orthodox Church.

Also during the service, prayers were offered for deliverance from coronavirus infection and for the health of medical workers. A prayer was read during a fatal fever and deadly infection.

In conclusion, Bishop Athanasy delivered a sermon and distributed sweet gifts to children and all parishioners.

Recall that the UOC community in the village of Rakov Les was one of the first in the region to be illegally re-registered in favor of the OCU. After the former rector of the Holy Annunciation church, Archpriest Nikolai Smolyarchuk, together with a part of the religious community, came under the jurisdiction of the newly formed church structure, he was banned from priesthood by decree of Vladyka Nathaniel of February 22, 2019. The UOC community, headed by the new rector, Archpriest Rostislav Sizhuk, has been deprived of access to its church since February last year and had to pray in the temporary tabernacle.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the church of the UOC community was consecrated in Lutsk, which had been on trial for two years for the right to build.

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