All-Ukrainian Cross Procession visits Sviatohirsk Lavra
Apt Vyacheslav Yakovenko, deputy head of the Synodal Military Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, with the Icon of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Sviatohirsk Lavra. Photo: svlavra.church.ua
On 25 February 2024, the Sviatogorsk Lavra was visited by the All-Ukrainian procession, which since 18 February has been held by the UOC for the spiritual support of the people of Ukraine, reports the site of the monastery.
Participants of the motorized procession led by the deputy head of the Synodal Department of the UOC for Interaction with the AFU, Archpriest Vyacheslav Yakovenko, delivered to the Lavra an icon of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos with a part of Her omophorion, an ark with parts of the relics of Prince Vladimir and Martyr Victor, as well as images of Saint Prince Vladimir and Righteous Peter Kalnyshevsky.
The relics were met at the entrance to the Dormition Cathedral by the abbot of the Lavra, Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk and the clergy of the monastery. The icons and the ark were placed in the middle of the church and the singing of prayer for peace in Ukraine was performed before them, accompanied by the reading of the Akathist Hymn to the Protection of the Mother of God. The prayer service was led by Metropolitan Arseniy concelebrated by the brethren of the monastery and the clergymen participating in the procession.
The nuns of the Lavra hermitages of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" and of Saint John of Shanghai joined in the prayer.
"Today we entrust our destinies and our Fatherland, our children and elderly parents, and the future of our youth, and the lives of husbands, brothers and fathers who are now perishing on the battlefield – all life and the work of saving the immortal souls of us and our loved ones we entrust today to God, the Mother of God and all the saints," Vladyka Arseniy said during his sermon.
He called on the faithful to live heartfelt prayer for the advent of peace.
"Neither in despair nor in despondency let us make this prayer, but in faith, in trust, in hope for God's help! And each of us will be heard, and our prayers – weak, poor and faithless – will be supported by the prayers of the Mother of God and all the saints and brought to the throne of the Most Holy Trinity," the bishop said.
After the prayer service, everyone was able to venerate the relics. As a blessing, the worshipers received icons of the Most Holy Mother of God and saints with the texts of prayers for peace in Ukraine on the reverse side.
According to the press service of the Synodal Department of the UOC for Interaction with the AFU, the Sviatohirsk Lavra the military priests went to the location of two units of the Ukrainian army, which perform combat missions in the Bakhmut direction. The clerics prayed with the servicemen and handed them humanitarian aid.
Earlier, the participants of the All-Ukrainian Cross Procession visited St Illia’s Church in Slavutych and the Church of the Non-handmade Image of the Saviour in Boryspil (Kyiv region), St. Panteleimon’s Monastery and military hospitals in Odesa, the Krasnohirsky Convent of All Saints in Mukachevo (Transcarpathia), the Intercession Monastery in Kharkiv, the Ascension Cathedral of the UOC in Izium and Kupiansk (Kharkiv region).
As reported, the previous All-Ukrainian Cross Procession with prayers for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainian soldiers took place in April-May 2023.
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