A Lutsk priest who defected to OCU hopes to bring back parishioners

Archpriest Oleksandr Kolb banned from the priesthood. Photo: "Channel 12"

"Many, if not all" of the parishioners who left the Mary Magdalene community in Lutsk will return,” said Fr Oleksandr Kolb who transferred his parish to the OCU.

Journalists who visited the service in the temple after its transition to the OCU note that there are significantly fewer people in the church.

"Very many abandoned us," parishioner Natalia told reporters. In turn, the rector says that he persuaded parishioners to convert to the OCU back in January 2023 when he came to them with Jordan water to consecrate their homes.

"This is such a pious custom, but it can also be used for a good deed, to socialise," says Kolb. According to him, then everyone answered him that they did not want to stay in the UOC. But when on 1 October, a parish meeting was held, the situation "changed dramatically".

"99% in private communication said that it was necessary to restore eucharistic communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate. But when I started to act, for some reason a human factor worked," Kolb complained.

The priest did not tell journalists the exact number of parishioners who left the temple, adding: "I am sure that a significant part, or even all, will return".

As reported, on 24 September Fr. Oleksandr Kolb served in Kyiv with the Phanar exarch and a "priest" of the OCU, after which he was banned from serving. On 1 October, he organised a parish meeting to defect to the OCU.

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