Thousands of believers pray at festive worship in Pochaiv

Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos at the Pochaiv Lavra, August 28, 2024 Photo: pochayv_lavra_online

On August 27-28, 2024, the Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra held solemn services in honor of the monastery's patronal feast – the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Thousands of pilgrims from various dioceses of Ukraine arrived at the holy site, as reported by the Telegram channel pochayv_lavra_online.

On the eve of the feast, a many-thousand cross procession arrived at the Lavra. Believers traveled hundreds of kilometers in prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.

The festivities for the patronal feast began on the morning of August 27. After the late liturgy, a procession with the icon of the Mother of God took place from the Dormition Cathedral to the Transfiguration Cathedral.

In the evening, the Transfiguration Cathedral held an all-night vigil with the Akathist Hymn to the Dormition of the Theotokos.

During Matins, the faithful who had come to the Lavra for the celebrations had the opportunity to venerate the icon of the Mother of God. Priests anointed them with holy oil.

On August 28, the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos was celebrated by Metropolitan Sergius of Ternopil and Kremenets.

He was assisted by Metropolitan Theodore of Kamianets-Podilskyi and Horodok, Metropolitan Volodymyr, the abbot of the Pochaiv Lavra, Archbishop Ioann of Shumsk, the rector of the Pochaiv Theological Seminary, as well as the brethren and guests of the Lavra in clerical attire.

After the late Liturgy, the icon of the Mother of God was carried in procession from the Transfiguration Cathedral to the Dormition Cathedral.

As reported, on the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry officiated the festive service at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

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