Storozhynets, Chernivtsi Province, Ukraine, February 10, 2025
Photo: uoc-news.church
Hundreds of Orthodox Christians held a cross procession through the center of the city of Storozhynets in the western Ukrainian province of Chernivtsi on Sunday, offering fervent prayers to the Lord for the protection of their holy churches against the violent state church.
On the same day, representatives of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” created by the Patriarchate of Constantinople with the Ukrainian and U.S. governments, were holding their own gathering, not for prayer but for planning the illegal seizure of Orthodox churches, reports the Information-Education Department of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
As the Orthodox faithful had learned, the schismatics have already falsified documents to “legally” seize the church, which will be followed by a violent physical takeover.
An official from the Chernivtsi Province Administration recently admitted that when OCU representatives submit documents claiming a church now belongs to them, the administration makes no effort to check the accuracy of the documents or the reality of the “transfer,” but simply re-registers the church, thus stealing it from the faithful Orthodox Christians.
Arriving in procession at the scene of the schismatics’ meeting, the Orthodox Christians continued praying. The UOC clergy served a panikhida for the fallen Ukrainian soldiers, while the OCU representatives only shouted insults and blasphemy.
After the memorial service, the clergy read an appeal to international representatives, requesting help in protecting their rights. The participants all expressed their intention to remain Orthodox, under the leadership of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine.
The clergy reported that they had sent an official appeal to the U.S. Embassy and Vice President JD Vance, asking them to protect their rights. 
Orthodox parishes in western Ukraine seek U.S. protection from religious persecutionParishioners of the Church of St. Basil in the village of Pidzaharychi in Bukovina appealed to U.S. government agencies about protecting their rights on January 30.
“>OrthoChristian reported last week on another two Bukovina parishes that have appealed to the U.S. government, and to Vice President Vance in particular.
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