A project to build the first church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was approved in Izmail

On September 18, members of the Izmail City Council approved the development of a detailed zoning plan for the area on Nezalezhnosti Avenue for the construction of a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

This was reported by an Intenta correspondent.

The plot in question is located within the boundaries of Nezalezhnosti Avenue, Illia Ripin Street, and Mykhailo Hrushevsky Street. The city council adopted the corresponding resolution following a request from the religious community of St. Josaphat (Kuntsevych) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

According to the decision, the intended use of the land plot is for the construction and maintenance of buildings for public and religious organizations, specifically for the construction of a church. A detailed plan is to define the layout, spatial composition, and development parameters of the territory. The documentation provides for the establishment of a public development zone as the primary land use, as well as areas for public use—roads, sidewalks, and green spaces.

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Once the city council has made its decision, the project developer and funding sources must be identified. This process is expected to take up to 20 days. Within an additional 30 calendar days following the executive committee’s decision, technical documentation must be prepared and a contract signed with the developer.
During the development of the Detailed Urban Plan (DUP), public hearings and a strategic environmental assessment procedure are required. Additionally, as part of the urban planning documentation, a land-use plan for the formation of the land parcel must be developed.

It should be noted that this city council decision specifically concerns the development of urban planning documentation, not the final transfer of the land parcel to the religious community for ownership or use.

Greek Catholics of Izmail

The religious community of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych, the Holy Martyr, has been active in Izmail since 2018. Its pastor is Father Volodymyr Zhuk.  As of 2026, the community’s worship services and certain religious events are held, in particular, at the Roman Catholic church on Pokrovska Street. In April of this year, Father Volodymyr Zhuk blessed Easter baskets there.

In November 2024, Bishop Mykhailo Bubnii presented the parish with an icon containing the relics of Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych for permanent safekeeping. Father Volodymyr Zhuk also serves as a medical chaplain at the Central District Hospital of the Safyanivska community.

According to YouControl, a separate legal entity—a religious organization with the full name “Religious Community of Saint Josaphat (Kuntsevych) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the city of Izmail, Odesa Oblast”—was registered on August 20, 2025. The list of founders includes ten local residents.
 

Антоніна Лубченко