Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrates 1034th anniversary of Rus Baptism

On July 28, 2022, on the day of memory of Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir and on the occasion of the Day of the Baptism of Rus, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine officiated a festive service at the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Information and Education Department of the UOC reports.

The Divine Liturgy took place on the square in front of the Dormition Cathedral of the Monastery. The Primate was concelebrated by Metropolitan Theodore of Kamyanets-Podilsky and Gorodok, Chairman of the Ecclesiastical Court of the UOC, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, abbot of the Lavra, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, Chancellor of the UOC, as well as metropolitans, archbishops, bishops and clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Liturgical hymns were performed by the Metropolitan Choir, conducted by Archimandrite Geronty (Borisevich), as well as the choir of the Kyiv Theological Schools under the direction of Archimandrite Roman (Podlubnyak).

After reading the Gospel, His Beatitude Metropolitan addressed the flock with a homily.

During the divine service, everybody prayed for peace on the Ukrainian land, for deliverance from the enemy, so that the Lord would look upon our people and save the desperate and homeless, for God's blessing to all those who help those in need. The Primate invoked God's mercy to the Ukrainian people, so that the Lord would enlighten those in power, strengthen the courage of the soldiers, free the captives, heal the sick and give shelter to those who lost their homes.

After the liturgy, a festive moleben took place, and the faithful, led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, went in a religious procession to the Far Caves of the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery, where they offered prayers to the Holy Prince Vladimir and were sprinkled with holy water. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry congratulated the flock on the holiday and wished God's blessing and peace.

After that, the Primate performed a lity for the dead at the grave of His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan) of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

As the UOJ wrote, the Primate of the UOC led the festivities in honor of the 1034th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus.

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