Memorial service for Bucha and Irpin victims served at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

On April 5, 2022, with the blessing of Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, prayers were offered at the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra for the souls of fallen Ukrainian soldiers and innocent civilians tortured and killed in Butcha, Irpin and other cities of Ukraine, reports the UOC Information and Education Department.

The memorial service at the Academic Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was led by the rector of the Peter and Paul Church of Bucha, which suffered during the shelling, Archimandrite Arkadiy (Demchenko), concelebrated by the clergy of Kyiv and Boryspil eparchies.

The liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary.

After the memorial service, Archimandrite Arkadiy addressed all those present with a sermon.

"A picture of heavy and terrible suffering was revealed: we saw many tortured people, mutilated bodies, raped women, children who had already parted with their lives. Of course, there is no justification for this war and no goal in this world can justify a single human death, and that is why today we especially pray to God that the Lord will receive into His mansions all those who have departed into eternity," said Father Arkadiy.

The priest also stressed that the Church is tirelessly praying for its people and asking God for the onset of peace and prosperity in Ukraine:

"We love our homeland and our people very much because all of us are children of one country and we ask God to send us peace, harmony and tranquillity for our country to develop and prosper and our people to live in peace and well-being," said the archimandrite.

Earlier, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry expressed compassion to the relatives and friends of those killed in Bucha.

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