Khmelnytskyi Eparchy comments on seizure of the church in Pylypy
Supporters of the OCU have been preparing to take over the church since May 2024 and had warned its parishioners about the seizure.
On July 16, authorities and supporters of the OCU forcibly seized the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Pylypy, Khmelnytskyi district (Krasyliv deanery), reports the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy.
The seizure of the church was overseen by A. Chernievych, a deputy of the Khmelnytskyi district council, V. Polishchuk, the head of the village of Pylypy, S. Bobukh, N. Svystun, Y. Babiychuk, and other OCU supporters among the authorities.
The religious community, together with their rector, Archpriest Valentyn Savchuk, remains fully within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the leadership of its Primate, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine.
"The liturgical life of the community continues. On Sunday, July 21, 2024, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in a room repurposed for a church, located next to the seized one," the diocese's press service reported.
As reported by the UOJ, in May 2024, OCU supporters announced the seizure of churches in the town of Krasyliv and the village of Pylypy. However, at that time, the UOC religious community managed to defend their shrine.
