UOC Primate officiates Day of Baptism of Rus' Feast at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra

Celebration of the Baptism of Rus' at the Lavra. July 28, 2024. Photo: Khmelnytskyi Eparchy

On the feast of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr and the Day of the Baptism of Rus', July 28, 2024, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine led the solemn service in the Church of St. Agapitus of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, reports the monastery's website.

During the Divine Liturgy, the Primate was concelebrated by Metropolitan Sergiy of Ternopil and Kremenets, Metropolitan Theodore of Kamianets-Podilskyi and Horodok, Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, Metropolitan Clement of Nizhyn and Pryluky, a host of hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as well as the brethren and guests of the monastery in holy orders, led by the Lavra's spiritual father, Archimandrite Antoniy.

During the service, special prayers were offered for peace in our land, for the defenders of Ukraine, and for all those in need.

After the Gospel reading, His Beatitude addressed the congregation with a pastoral word, recalling the history of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus' by the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr, whom the people called "Volodymyr the Red Sun" because of the spiritual beauty of his soul and his good deeds after his conversion to the Orthodox faith.

"May God grant us to preserve the faith that St. Prince Volodymyr passed on to us and to be his spiritual children," the Archbishop wished. "And through his prayers, may the Lord help us to live our lives worthily on earth so that we may be deemed worthy to inherit eternal life in Heaven through Christ Jesus our Lord!"

After the service, a rite of glorification was performed with the reading of a prayer to St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr. His Beatitude congratulated all the faithful on the feast.

As the UOJ previously reported, the Church celebrates the memory of St. Prince Volodymyr and the Day of the Baptism of Rus'.

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