Church community in Staryi Vovchynets votes for loyalty to UOC

Meeting of the UOC religious community in the village of Staryi Vovchynets. Photo: medium

On February 2, 2025, 366 parishioners of the Nativity of the Theotokos Church in the Bukovynian village of Staryi Vovchynets voted to remain loyal to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), medium.com reports.

The vote was prompted by an initiative from activist Lidiya Hishchuk to transfer the church to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). She obtained permission from the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration (OVA) to hold the corresponding meeting, scheduled for February 2 at the House of Culture.

The church community, after praying, proceeded in a cross procession from their church to the meeting venue. However, the doors of the facility were locked.

The parishioners returned to the church. After some time, the community once again held a cross procession to the House of Culture, but once again, the doors remained locked. None of the organizers of the meeting appeared at the location.

Following Ukrainian law, the religious community then elected a meeting chairman, a secretary, and a counting commission, and conducted an official assembly. During this meeting, they reaffirmed their desire to remain in the canonical faith within the UOC. The document was signed by 366 parishioners.

Representatives of the National Police and observers documented the meeting process with photos and videos.

The meeting protocol was submitted to the Chernivtsi Military Administration to prevent potential falsifications.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Staryi Vovchynets, a controversial chaplain failed to organize a transition to the OCU. During a meeting at the House of Culture, people chanted at the notorious church raid coordinator in Bukovyna: "Get Roman out of Bukovyna!"

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