On August 15, 2024, the first service in Ukrainian was held in the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva in the village of Zarvantsi, Vinnytsia district, after the religious community of the church decided to leave the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate and join the local Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
The decision was made at the end of March, after which the community had to fight for its right to be in the Ukrainian Church, as the former Rector and his few supporters did not allow parishioners to enter the church premises, so people gathered weekly in the churchyard and held services in the open air.
Initially, the community was led by Archimandrite Sofronii (Chupryna), and recently Archpriest Serhii Livonchuk was appointed Rector of the church. It was Father Serhiy who conducted the first service in the church after the deputies of the Yakushynets village council decided on July 12 to transfer the land plot on which the church is located to the religious community of the OCU for permanent use.
It is noteworthy that the first prayer service in Ukrainian in the church of Zarvantsi village was held on July 15, the day of the Baptism of Rus-Ukraine, the day of the memory of St. Prince Volodymyr, the Holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles, and the Day of Ukrainian Statehood. The prayers on that day included requests for Ukraine, its government and the Ukrainian people, for the defenders who are defending their native land from the Russian aggressor, and for the fallen soldiers who gave their lives for Ukraine's independence.
Greeting the parishioners after the service, Archpriest Serhiy thanked all those present and all those who defended the church for their contribution to the cause of Ukraine's spiritual independence and called on them to continue to be zealous patriots and good Christians, to attend their church and offer sincere prayers for the salvation of their souls, for their families and friends, and, of course, for Ukraine's victory and a just peace on Ukrainian land.
Press service of the Diocese of Vinnytsia and Bar of the UOC (OCU)
