Lutsk: UOC community suing for right to build has their church consecrated

Archbishop Nathanael consecrated the temple. Photo: pravoslavna.volyn.ua

In Lutsk, Archbishop Nathanael of Volyn and Lutsk consecrated the throne of St. Nicholas Church of the UOC. The consecration took place on December 25.

The long history of the construction of the temple began in 2012, from the moment the land plot was received between the multi-storey residential buildings, but the work was interrupted: the community had to defend the right to build a temple in the courts, reports the UOJ correspondent.

The St. Nicholas community has been actively operating in this micro-district for several years, renting premises near their land, and in the spring of 2016, a foundation pit was finally dug on the site for the construction of a new church. Believers, led by the then rector, Hieromonk Ilya (Vishnevsky), gathered at their site on major feasts, adjusting a temporary "trailer" for divine services. However, at the time of the start of construction work, apparently after the "signal" to the architectural and construction inspection, the SACI cancelled the issuance of permits.

From the spring of 2016 to December 2017, the parishioners through the courts sought to get back the right to build. The complexity of the situation was that city houses and communications were located on the land that already belonged to the suburban village of Zaborol.

After the community restored the validity of this documentation by a court decision, the temporary prayer room was moved to the site allocated for the temple, and construction work was actively resumed in late 2017 – early 2018. In the summer of 2019, a new rector was appointed to the parish. Over the years, a young, numerous and socially active parish has become an important link in the spiritual life of the micro-district.

As the UOJ previously reported, a dome and a cross were consecrated in Lutsk for the St. Nicholas Church under construction.

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