UOC Priest Barred from Orphanage Ministry Due to Confessional Affiliation

A priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Kirovohrad Diocese, Fr. Ivan Shemedyuk, reported that state authorities have prohibited him from continuing his regular visits to a local orphanage — visits he had been making since 2014. He shared this information in a post on his Facebook page.

According to the priest, over the past ten years, he and a group of young people had been organizing monthly trips to the orphanage, where they held educational sessions, sports activities, festive events, photo studio outings, picnics, and delivered humanitarian aid such as clothing.

This month, Fr. Ivan was informed that he was no longer permitted to interact with the children at the institution. While no official reason has been publicly stated, the priest himself attributes the decision to his religious affiliation.

“They forbid us from visiting the orphans because we are not from ‘the right’ Church,” commented Fr. Ivan Shemedyuk.

Earlier, we reported that on April 12, 2025, in Crete (Greece), Ukrainian Greek Catholics organized religious events. In Heraklion, a church dedicated to St. John the Baptist was allocated for the needs of the UGCC. The events were attended by representatives of the Ukrainian consulate in Crete and members of the diaspora.