Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine

In Ukraine Catholics hold open air Christmas Mass

The Roman Catholic Community in southeastern Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk celebrated Christmas in accordance with the Gregorian calendar on 25 December near the walls of St. Joseph’s Church, reports Risu.

The Roman Catholic Community has struggled in vain for the property rights of St. Joseph’s Church since summer. The church building with a total of 654.8 square meters currently belongs to Dugsbery Incorporated, USA.

One of the possible solutions to the problem which was discussed at a meeting with Dnipropetrovsk Mayor Ivan Kulichenko, was to give Dugsbery Inc. another plot of land in exchange for the free transfer of the church building to the Roman Catholic Community.

The Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office has been trying to return the former church building since 1998, insisting that its privatization was illegal.

In 2001, court hearings were suspended, but shorted afterwards revived.

According to Valerii Hmyrok, head of St. Joseph’s Parish, Dnipropetrovsk has almost 300 registered parishioners of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC).

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[01/03/2008]

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