Met. Pavel leads celebrations in honor of St Anastasia of Kyiv

Procession at the Pokrovsky Nunnery in Kyiv. April 24, 2025. Photo: Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

On April 24, 2025, on the feast day of the Venerable Grand Duchess Anastasia of Kyiv, a festive Divine Liturgy was held at the Intersession Nunnery of the UOC in Kyiv. As reported by the press service of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the service was led by Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshhorod and Chornobyl.

The Metropolitan was concelebrated by the UOC Chancellor, Metropolitan Antoniy of Boryspil and Brovary, the head of the UOC Information and Education Department, Metropolitan Clement of Nizhyn and Pryluky, Metropolitan Ioasaf of Vasylkiv, Archbishop Oleksandr of Horodnytsia, Rector of the KDAiS Archbishop Sylvester of Bilohorodka, Archbishop Amvrosiy of Zhurivka, Archbishop Spiridon of Vyshneve, Bishop Kyrylo of Byshev, Bishop Theodosiy of Ladan, as well as the clergy and guests of the monastery in holy orders.

Together with the sisters of the nunnery, led by Abbess Kalysfeniya (Shamaylo), parishioners and pilgrims gathered to honor the holy patroness of the convent.

After the reading of the Gospel, Vladyka Pavel, in his sermon, called everyone to spiritual unity, hope, and prayer for peace in Ukraine.

During the Liturgy, special prayers were offered for the war cessation, protection of the people from the enemy, assistance to the needy, and blessings for all who perform acts of mercy.

After the service, a procession was held around the church with the reading of the Gospel, singing the Paschal troparion "Christ is Risen," and sprinkling with holy water. The celebration concluded with a service of glorification before the relics of Venerable Anastasia of Kyiv.

The righteous one was born in 1838 into the family of a prince of Oldenburg. From a young age, she helped poor and sick children. Twenty years later, the princess, suffering from cancer, went abroad for treatment and then to Kyiv, where in 1889 she founded the Protection (Pokrovsky) Nunnery. Here, the Grand Duchess, who had been bedridden for many years, received miraculous healing from the Almighty and began to walk. After the death of her husband in 1891, she secretly took monastic vows. Through her efforts, hospitals for the poor were opened at the monastery, including the only X-ray room in Kyiv, a free pharmacy, a school, and a shelter for orphaned girls,  incurably ill women and the blind. Venerable Anastasia personally cared for the infirm, spent many hours assisting during surgical operations, without leaving the services and strict monastic rule. The ascetic departed to eternity in 1900.

The Lavra press service clarifies that currently, Metropolitan Pavel has been granted permission to remain in the city for treatment based on a one-time court order.

As reported by the UOJ, the UOC held a memorial service for teh victims of the Russian attack on April 24.

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