The Odessa diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church may take away the temple in the regional center

The Ukrainian Education Ministry has planned to expropriate the church of the Odessa diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God «Znameniye» located in the premises of the Odessa Trade and Economic College. It is reported that on this religious building are ongoing trials and there is a risk that on December 3, the Odessa diocese will lose the temple. This was reported on his page in Facebook by the cleric of the diocese Archdeacon Andrew Palchuk.

«In the city of Odessa on Inglesi Street on the territory of the Institute (Odessa Trade and Economic College, — ed.) is a temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God «Sign». It has been there for two decades. Last year there was an influx and you and I helped to restore it. A huge number of parishioners, so many people were baptized there, married…. And now the Ministry of Education wants to take away from us this temple, where every day the Divine Service is performed for our country, for our victory, for peace», — said Palchuk.

The archdeacon added that the Odessa diocese of the UOC managed to win in the court of first instance. However, the Ministry of Education appealed, due to which the risk of expropriation of the temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God «Sign» increased. The clergyman urged the faithful to intensify prayers.

«There was the first trial. Thanks to our Orthodox lawyers we, with God’s help, won the first trial. But tomorrow (December 3, — ed.) in the court of appeal there will be a new session. We are worried. There is a feeling that we can lose,» he added.

We will remind, earlier we reported that the Prosecutor’s office demands to return to the state Archangel Michael Church in Krasnokutsk, Kharkiv region, built in 1873-1880 years. According to the prosecutor’s office, the building, which has the status of an architectural monument, was illegally registered as the property of the local religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 2005.