Head of the UOC Representative Office at European Organizations arrives in Kolomyia to sort out the conflict

His Eminence Bishop of Baryshevka Victor (Kotsaba), vicar of Kiev Metropoly, head of the UOC Representative Office at European organizations is having an official visit currently to Ivano-Frankovsk UOC eparchy. It is reported by the eparchy’s site.

On June 11, 2017, the Right Reverend officiated at the Divine Liturgy at Kolomiya Nicholas-Assumption Cathedral. During the service the bishop prayed for peace in Ukraine.

The Bishop addressed the believers with the word of the sermon. He noted that the fruit of the descent of the Holy Spirit into the Apostles was a large number of holy saints of God who glorified the name of Christ throughout the earth. It is no coincidence that the Orthodox Church honors the memory of All Saints, who have shone in their labors and exploits, on the First Sunday after Pentecost. Vladyka noted that every Christian has a relation to holiness and to a certain extent is a saint, because we are all adopted in Christ Jesus, and in the sacrament of baptism we have become a new creation. According to Vladyka, the holy person is one who tries to translate all the evangelical truths in his life.

Bishop Victor conveyed the blessing of Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, His Beatitude Onuphry, and conveyed the words of support to the faithful children of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The believers were anointed with holy oil and blessed all with icons.

On the same day, Bishop Victor, in collaboration with the clergy of the diocese, read the Akathistos to Jesus the Sweetest in the courtyard of the Holy Annunciation Church of Kolomyia, around which proceedings are pending regarding the confessional affiliation.

Vladyka expressed his support to the community of the UOC, which is now going through difficult times and noted that the only weapon of a Christian in any situation is prayer.