John Pokhodenchyk

Holy Blessed John Pokhodenchyk was a fool for Christ and died as a martyr on 25 November 1943, killed by the German occupiers near the village of Ploske. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church glorified him as a saint on 25 November 2025.

He lived at the end of the nineteenth century and in the first half of the twentieth. Nothing is known of his childhood and youth. As an adult he came to the village of Ploske, in the Kirovohrad region, probably from the Cherkasy region. Chosen by God for foolishness for Christ's sake, he went from village to village with no home of his own and taught people to keep the Orthodox faith. From his walking he received the nickname Pokhodenchyk ("the walker").

On 25 November 1943 he was killed by the Germans near Ploske. His body was buried by the peasants in the village cemetery. In May 2021 his relics were found and moved to the Theophany convent of the Oleksandriia eparchy.

On 25 November 2025, in the Protection cathedral of Oleksandriia, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil led the Liturgy and the rite of glorification. Metropolitan Nicholas of Kirovohrad read the decision of the Holy Synod, Metropolitan Bogolep of Oleksandriia read his life, and then the hymn of praise was sung to the saint.