UOC Volyn priest takes humanitarian aid collected by eparchy to frontline

The Volyn eparchy of the UOC has sent humanitarian aid to the front. Photo: pravoslavna.volyn.ua

Archpriest Georgy Vikhot of All Saints Cathedral in Lutsk, together with one of his parishioners delivered charitable aid from the Volyn Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the 56th Detached Motorized Mariupol Brigade, which serves in Zaporizhzhia.

According to the eparchy’s press service, during the entire Christmas Lent, Volyn churches raised funds for the AFU; and as a result, they managed to collect a significant sum, which was used to purchase necessary goods: generators, stoves, chainsaws, shovels and much more.

"The eparchy bought all the goods and things that, according to the military themselves, are very much needed to equip the dugouts and everyday life in general. In addition, we additionally filled the empty spaces in our vehicles with small gas camping cookers, hygiene products, trench candles – things they also need on the front line," said Fr Georgy.

One of the vehicles used to deliver the humanitarian cargo was also a gift for the motorized infantry brigade. The vehicle was purchased for the soldiers by Volyn believers.

"We drove there two cars packed with humanitarian aid, we left one there for the guys, and with our parishioner, we drove the other back home," the priest noted.

According to him, the settlements they visited were very close to "ground zero".

"We are unfamiliar with most of the military men, of course. However, everyone rejoiced, everyone embraced, willingly communicated," said the archpriest.

Father Georgy blessed the soldiers, handed icons to each of them and left them with baptismal water.

As reported, parishioners of St. Nicholas Church in Lutsk purchased an Opel Fronterra car for the army. The rector of the church, Archpriest Valentin Marchuk, found a suitable car in Poland and delivered it to Lutsk. The car was repaired, painted, consecrated and sent to the front line in the Donetsk region.

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