Catholic Church in Dnipropetrovsk Consecrated After Returning to Roman Catholics

On October 11, Ordinary Bishop Stanislaw Shyrokoradiuk of Kharkiv and Zaporizhia consecrated once again the parish church of St. Joseph in Dnipropetrovsk. The sanctuary, destroyed by atheistic regime was returned to possession of Roman Catholics in 2009 after lengthy protests and prayers before the closed church.

Renovation lasted several years. In his homily, Bishop Stanislaw thanked the faithful and Casimir Guzik OFM Сар for enduring and trustful prayer that entailed the return of the house, reported the press service of the Lviv archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine.

The liturgy was attended by Auxiliary Bishop Ian Bishop Sobilo of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhya, Senior Bishop Marian Buchek and Ordinary Archbishop Peter Malchuk OFM of Kyiv and Zhytomyr, as well as ordinary Bishop Leon Dubravskyy OFM of Kamyanets Podilsky.

Vicar General of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin of Rome and provincial of Krakow also arrived for the celebration. Before the Mass the faithful were greeted by Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Kharkiv Jan Granat and mayor of the city of Dnipropetrovsk.

The ceremony began with a Eucharistic procession form the chapel of Capuchin Fathers and followed along the streets of the city to the church, where, after a blessing at the church, a Mass of Presanctified gifts was held. Afterwards the photographs of the prayer services for the return of the sanctuary, as well as those of the construction and restoration works were demonstrated.