On 14 August 2023, on the feast of the Presentation of the Cross of the Lord and the memory of the Holy Martyrs of Maccabees, the religious community of Berezhany village in Khmilnyk district finally got the opportunity to pray in their own church.
A year ago, the church community decided by a majority vote to leave the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the moscow patriarchate and join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. However, due to the specifics of Ukrainian legislation, the believers had to prove their right to change their jurisdiction in court. All this time, the Orthodox citizens of Berezhany gathered for prayer on the territory of the church or in a room adapted for prayer. And finally, after the relevant court decision, the documents on the change of jurisdiction in canonical and organisational matters were registered and the religious community was able to return to their church. The UOC priest said goodbye to his few supporters, to whom he had been proving all along that he had nothing in common with the moscow patriarchate, and was compelled to give the church community the keys to the church, which rightfully belongs to it.
Considering the long and difficult path the church community of Berezhany has come to this day, it can be imagined how joyful it was for the faithful who prayed for the first time in their native Ukrainian language in the walls of the village shrine. The first festive service was performed by the rector of the church, Father Yuriy Voloshchuk. Prayers were sung by the church choir, which was organised after the transition to the OCU and in a short time reached a high level of musical proficiency.
Father Yuriy Voloshchuk blessed honey and flowers, which are traditionally brought to the church for consecration on this day. The priest congratulated his community on the holiday and conveyed greetings and blessings from Metropolitan Symeon of Vinnytsia and Bar to the parishioners.
The entire Vinnytsia-Bar Diocese also congratulates the religious community of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Berezhany, Khmilnyk district, on their return to their church and the first prayer that was said in their native language after joining the canonical local Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Press service of the Diocese of Vinnytsia and Bar of the UOC (OCU)
