UOC hierarch visits Maidan village, where raiders tried to seize UOC temple

Metropolitan Varsonofy at a divine service in the village of Maidan, Vinnytsia District Deanery. Photo: eparhia.vinnica.ua

On September 22, 2021, Metropolitan Vinnitsa and Barsk Barsanuphius consecrated the new throne in the church of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki in Maidan village of the Vinnytsia district deanery, the official website of the diocese reports.

The UOC believers in this village were attacked by the OCU provocateurs two years ago. “There were provocations around this church by the representatives of the OCU, but the believers, together with the priest, remained faithful to the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” the Vinnytsia diocese noted.

Metropolitan Varsonofy also officiated the Divine Liturgy in the church. He was concelebrated by the secretary of the diocese, Archimandrite Arkady (Senchukovsky), Archpriest Alexei Melnichuk, hegumen of the Lemeshevsky monastery, Archimandrite Mark (Baranovsky), Archpriest Vitaly Pogrebniak, the rector of the church, Archpriest Anthony Kovtoniuk, clerics of the deanery and guests in the priesthood. The abbess of the Brailov Monastery, Antonia (Stetsenko), also prayed at the liturgy.

After the service, a procession of the cross took place, at the end of which Vladyka thanked the rector, Father Anthony, for his active ministry in the parish, repairs in the church and the construction of a refectory. With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, the bishop presented Archpriest Anthony Kovtoniuk with the Order of St. Prince Yaroslav the Wise.

As reported by the UOJ, a church was consecrated in the Vinnitsa diocese in honor of “The Unburnt Bush" icon.

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