UOC Church Taken From Priest as His Two Sons Serve in Ukrainian Army

KRUTY, UKRAINE — A Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) temple in the village of Kruty was taken from an Orthodox priest whose two sons are serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while the priest and his parishioners continue supporting Ukrainian soldiers despite losing their church.

The temple dedicated to the Archangel Michael had been revived through the efforts of Archpriest Vasyl Vilkhovetsky and the parish community. According to the UOC, local activists subsequently seized the church through deception. The Information and Educational Department of the UOC reported the matter, citing the diocesan press service.

The priest’s family has also contributed directly to Ukraine’s defense. Both Archpriest Vasyl’s biological and adopted sons joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine before the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. While his sons serve in the military, the priest and his parishioners have continued providing humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian troops.

With the blessing of Metr. Kliment of Nizhyn and Pryluky, St. Michael’s Parish recently collected a large quantity of food from the faithful’s own farms and sent it to soldiers at the front. The community regularly organizes similar assistance for Ukrainian servicemen.

After losing the temple, the parish adapted another facility for worship and continues to hold services there. The UOC says the seized church now stands “almost empty,” while other villagers have joined the UOC parish, expressing support for the priest and the community’s prayer and volunteer work.

The parish thanked believers who contribute their labor and agricultural produce to support the Ukrainian army. Despite the loss of its church building, the community continues its religious life and humanitarian efforts in support of Ukrainian soldiers.

Previously, the UOJ reported that the UOC said OCU supporters seized a church with falsified documents.