On June 22, 2023, the Diocesan Assembly of the Vinnytsia-Bar Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was held at the Transfiguration Cathedral in Vinnytsia under the chairmanship of Metropolitan Symeon of Vinnytsia and Bar. Before the meeting began, a memorial service was held for those who died in World War II and for the fallen defenders of Ukraine and civilians who died as a result of Russian aggression. Afterwards, a prayer service was held for Ukraine and the Ukrainian army, as well as for the clergy and laity of the Vinnytsia-Bar Diocese.
The diocesan meeting was held in the church of the cathedral, which is dedicated to the holy silverless Kosma and Damian. The meeting was attended by the clergy of the diocese, except for the chaplains who are currently undergoing training and some clergy who were absent for valid reasons. The meeting was also attended by the laity, each representing their parish.
From the beginning, Metropolitan Symeon thanked those present for almost five years of joint service and spiritual life within the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The Metropolitan announced that this diocesan meeting will consider organizational issues, elect candidates from the diocese to the Local Council of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which will be held on July 27 in Kyiv, and summarize the activities of religious communities and the diocese in the first five years after Unification council of the Orthodox churches of Ukraine.
After resolving the protocol issues and approving the agenda, a report was heard by Metropolitan Symeon, in which the Diocesan Administrator recalled and commented on the main events of diocesan life over the past period. Among these events are the formation of the diocese, visits to the diocese by the Primate of the OCU, the construction of churches, the foundation of a convent, the struggle of religious communities for the right to pray in their native language within the Autocephalous Church , the participation of the diocese in helping the defenders of Ukraine, the spiritual support and blessing of the diocese by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and the brethren of the monasteries of Mount Athos. Metropolitan Symeon called the church-wide glorification of the miraculous Icon of the Mother of God "Iverska-Myrnenska" a significant spiritual event in the diocesan life.
The Metropolitan announced statistics according to which the number of parishes in the Vinnytsia-Bar Diocese increased from 30 to 125 from 2019 to mid-2023. The number of clergy in the diocese increased from 20 to 54. Since the beginning of the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 63 parishes and 14 priests from the UOC, which maintains ties with the church of the aggressor state, have joined the diocese. The bishop said that the process of transferring communities from the moscow patriarchate to the OCU is ongoing, and the statistics do not yet reflect religious communities that have made the appropriate decision but are defending their legal right to change their subordination in the courts.
Metropolitan Symeon concluded his report by thanking the clergy and faithful of the diocese for their spiritual work, volunteer and charitable activities, and loyalty to God, the Church of Christ and Ukraine.
After the Archpastor's speech, the Diocesan Assembly proceeded to the next items on the agenda. The Diocesan Council was re-elected and candidates for participation in the Local Council of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine were voted for. At this important church-wide gathering, the Vinnytsia-Bar Diocese will be represented along with Metropolitan Symeon by the secretary of the diocesan administration, Archdeacon Vladyslav Demchenko, who was elected from among the clergy, and a parishioner of the Transfiguration Cathedral, Viktor Popelniuk, who was elected from among the laity.
The next item on the agenda was a discussion of the process of transition to the New Julian calendar. The overwhelming majority of the members of the Diocesan Assembly expressed support on behalf of their parishes for this church-wide initiative, which was supported by the Bishops' Council and must be finally approved by the Local Council.
At the final stage of the Diocesan Assembly, those who wished to speak were given the opportunity to address the topics of concern to rectors and parishioners. These topics included the social and volunteer ministry of the Church, the organization of the liturgical life of parishes, ensuring the proper maintenance of the clergy, improving the Ukrainian translations of liturgical books, and many other issues.
At the end of the meeting, Metropolitan Symeon, on behalf of all those present, congratulated the clergyman of theDiocese, Archpriest Valentyn Gutorov, on his birthday, which he celebrated that day. The bishop wished everyone God's help in their future work and conveyed his archpastoral blessing to all the parishioners through the representatives of the communities.
Press Service of the Vinnytsia-Bar Diocese of The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine)
