UOC celebrates the name day of its Primate

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine. Photo: UOC

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrates the name day of its Primate – His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

On the eve, His Beatitude led the all-night vigil, and on the day of the holiday, June 25, 2020, he celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the square in front of the Dormition Cathedral of the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

49 years ago, on March 18, 1971, His Beatitude, being a 25-year-old novice, received monastic tonsure at the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra in honor of the 4th-century Orthodox ascetic, St. Onuphrius the Great, who saved all alone in the Egyptian desert for 60 years. Taking monastic vows, he devoted his life entirely to likening his heavenly patron, above all, in completely surrendering himself to the will of God, humility, and love for Christ.

Every year on June 25, on the day of remembrance of the heavenly patron of the Primate of the UOC, numerous representatives of the Local Orthodox Churches come to congratulate His Beatitude Vladyka on his name day. So, in 2019, delegations of the Alexandrian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Cyprus, Polish, Czech Churches and the Orthodox Church in America arrived in Kyiv to participate in the celebration of St. Patron’s Day of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry.

This year, due to quarantine restrictions, celebrations are held with a limited number of participants.

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