The Mass is now celebrated to the sound of the organ

The Roman Catholic community of Dnipropetrovsk has cleared a milestone after a prolonged restoration effort saw the parishioners finally receiving their place of worship back. The complicated story of the shrine’s return lasted for many years. When Pavlo Lazarenko was the dominant figure in the region (1996-98), the municipality sold the former church building to a Panamanian-registered company. The parishioners spent almost two decades fighting for its return. The issue of the church was raised with the leadership of Ukraine by Polish ambassadors and presidents, and even the Pope himself. During Viktor Yushchenko’s presidency, the deadlock was broken when Dnipropetrovsk courts ruled in favor of the Roman Catholic community.

The believers were then able to enter the dilapidated shrine, already roofless, but with the walls still covered in old-fashioned frescoes. It took five years to finally restore the church, built in the pre-revolutionary Yekaterynoslav [the old name of Dnipropetrovsk. – Ed.] back in the late 19th century. And finally, the long saga is over, as the restored shrine has been reconsecrated. The celebration saw all Ukrainian bishops and guests from Poland and Italy present. A sacred procession, attended by all the parishioners, preceded the solemn reconsecration of the Roman Catholic church. Following it, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shyrokoradiuk was solemnly handed the keys to the building in his capacity as the new rector of the church. He then unlocked the door to all those who fought and waited for this event for many years. The parish’s sexton Valerii Hmyrko said that restoration of the church involved a lot of people, as even retirees saved money to expedite its completion. The solemn Mass at the church, located on the main avenue of Dnipropetrovsk, was attended by people of different faiths. All of them were glad to see the Roman Catholic community succeed in its fight. The believers said that the community had 300 members, even though it started with a small chapel on Komsomolska Street in the early 1990s. The Mass in the Roman Catholic church, which was restored almost totally to its original shape, is now celebrated to the solemn sound of the organ.