International Orthodox Christian News

On Friday, June 11, in the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra the celebrations were held at which thousands of pilgrims and numerous representatives of the clergy from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were present. The vigil on the day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul was presided over by His Eminence Metropolitan of Voronezh and Borisoglebsk Sergiy in concelebration with other hierarchs, clergy and brethren of the Lavra of Svyatogorsk.

On Saturday, July 12, in the Cathedral of Holy Dormition of the Svyatogorsk Lavra in the course of Divine Liturgy was performed the rite of glorification in the ranks of saints of the Synaxis of the Holy Fathers Who Shone in the Holy Mountains at Donets. Taking part in the solemn divine service together with Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Volodymyr were 18 hierarchs: Metropolitan Sergiy of Voronezh and Borisoglebsk, Hiero-archimandrite of the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol, Metropolitan Iriney of Dnipropetrovsk and Pavlohrad, Metropolitan Ioannikiy of Luhansk and Alchevsk,

Archbishop Efraim of Kryvyi Rih and Nikopol, Archbishop Ioann of Kherson and Tavriya, vicar of the Kharkiv Diocese Archbishop Onuphriy of Izyum, Deputy Abbot of the Hermitage of Nativity of the Theotokos in Glinka Archbishop Luka of Konotop and Glukhiv, Bishop Amvrosiy of Chernihiv and Novhorod-Siverskyi, Deputy Abbot of the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra, Vicar of the Diocese of Donetsk Bishop Arseniy, Bishop Mytrofan of Horlivka and Slovyansk , Vicar of the Donetsk Diocese Bishop Varnava of Makiyivka, Bishop Yelisey of Berdyansk and Prymorsk, Bishop Agapit of Severodonetsk and Starobilsk, Rector of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary Bishop Anthony of Boryspil, Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi, and His Grace Bishop Alipy. Concelebrating with the hierarchs were the host of clergy and the brethren of Lavra. І

At the Divine Liturgy at the Lesser Entrance was served the last Litia for the reposed God-pleasers, thereafter two hierarchs said the word of enunciation. Bishop of Kryvyi Rih and Nikopol Efraim read out an extract from the Journal of Proceedings of the session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which passed the decision on glorification among the saints of the Synaxis of Fathers who shone in the Holy Mountains at Donets, approved the troparion, prayer service and the icon for veneration. Then Bishop Mytrofan of Horlivka and Slovyansk read out the lives of each of the hermits of Svyatogorsk. Thereafter the icon depicting the synaxis of the Fathers of Svyatogorsk was taken from the altar to the singing of troparion to the newly-glorified saints, and the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr performed the first prayerful veneration of the holy image and of the reliquaries with the holy relics that stay here, at the Cathedral of Holy Dormition. This example was followed by other archpastors and clergy, and the Divine service went on.

Upon completion of the Liturgy in the Cathedral of the Holy Dormition the festive prayer service was performed proclaiming "many years" to the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, to the hierarchs, clergy and all those praying.