EASTERN AMERICAN DIOCESE: 18 December 2025
The US capital hosts an event defending the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

On Tuesday, December 16, nearly 200 Orthodox Christians and their allies gathered in Washington, DC, for a Legislative Day of Action in support of the persecuted Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The event was organized by the Society of St. John and covered by the Union of Orthodox Journalists of America. Members came from around the country.

Among those in attendance were Their Graces, Bishops John of Worcester & New England (Antiochian Archdiocese of North America), Theodosius of Seattle (vicar of the Western American Diocese ROCOR and a native of Ukraine), and Serafim of Kostajnica (vicar of the Midwestern Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church), chancellor of the OCA Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, and several clerics of the Eastern American Diocese:

• Archpriest Victor Boldewskul (rector of Holy Epiphany Church in Roslindale (Boston), MA
  
• Archpriest Vasily Zelenyuk (rector of Unexpected Joy Church on Staten Island, NY)
  
• Abbot Gabriel (Hooten; abbot of Holy Cross Monastery in Wayne, WV)
  
• Hieromonk John (Filipowicz; cleric of St. Demetrius Monastery in Spotsylvania, VA)
  
• Priest Steven Mitchell (rector of Ascension of Christ Church in Wentworth, MO)
  
• Priest Christopher Johnson (co-rector of Holy Apostles Church in Beltsville, MD)
  
• Priest Daniel Iliev (cleric of St. Mary of Egypt Church in Roswell (Atlanta), GA)
  
• Priest Peter Markevich (rector of Holy Trinity Church in Mebane, NC)
  
• Priest Paul Siewers (rector of St. John the Wonderworker Church in Winfield, PA)
  
• Protodeacon Patrick Mitchell (cleric of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington), and
  
• Deacon David Dutkanicz (cleric of St. Nicholas Church in Stratford, CT).

The concerned Christians held 80 meetings with members of Congress and their staff, in addition to canvassing every office in the House and Senate.

The event ended with a meeting and press conference on the steps of the Capitol building. At the press conference, Diocesan Media Office staffer Subdeacon Gregory Levitsky addressed comments by his congressman, Joe Wilson (SC-2), in which the representative had accused the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia of being “an extension of the Russian state” and called pleas on behalf of the UOC an “intelligence operation.” Congressman Wilson was asked to apologize for these remarks.

The organizers are calling for the repeal of Ukraine’s Law 3894-IX, which has effectively outlawed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

They are also demanding the release of Met. Arseny of Svyatogorsk and the end to conscription of UOC clergy into combat roles.

eadiocese.org