Rector of parish affected by OCU in Bronytsia: People are returning to us

Temple in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Quick to Hearken" in the village of Bronytsia. Photo: pravoslavna.volyn.ua

The rector of the church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Quick to Hearken" in the village of Bronytsia of Kamin-Kashyrsky District of the Volyn Region, built to replace the one seized by the OCU supporters in 2019, said that now many who seceded from the Church are returning to it.

This is stated in a report published on the website of the Volyn diocese.

Father Nektariy Priymak was appointed the parish rector after the seizure of the temple. The parishioners themselves told him about how they had voted for the transition to the OCU and how the locks on the church were cut off. Then both Protestants (the village is predominantly Protestant) and those who had not lived in Bronytsia for a long time voted for the change of jurisdiction. Signatures from villagers were also collected by deception. For example, they were asked which Church they support – Ukrainian or Russian, and people chose the former – the one that already existed in the village.

On July 7, 2021, in Bronytsia, a new church of the UOC was consecrated in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Quick to Hearken". The authors of the report noted that on this day, local residents sincerely forgave everyone who had taken their old church away from them in January 2019. Those who at that time were among the so-called "activists" asked for forgiveness too.

“In fact, a lot of people have already returned to us, and they are still coming back to this day,” Fr. Nektariy Priymak shared with the journalists.

On January 21, 2019, supporters of the "transition" to the OCU in Bronytsia opened the locks on the UOC church and pushed the rector out of the church territory. Believers continued to gather for prayer, first in a rural house, then in a temporary church until the construction of a full-fledged church began in November 2020.

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