Khmelnytskyi сommemorates His Beatitude Volodymyr (Sabodan)
A memorial evening dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Metropolitan Volodymyr’s birth. Photo: Khmelnytskyi Eparchy
On 24 November 2025, the Transfiguration Church in Khmelnytskyi hosted a solemn memorial event marking the 90th anniversary of the birth of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), the press service of the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy reported. The evening was organized by Metropolitan Victor of Khmelnytskyi.
The event brought together clergy, representatives of parish schools, church choirs, and numerous faithful who came to honor the memory of His Beatitude and connect with his spiritual legacy.
Participating in the memorial event was Metropolitan Varsonofiy of Vinnytsia and Bar, who during Metropolitan Volodymyr’s primatial ministry served as treasurer of the Holy Dormition Kyiv–Pechersk Lavra. He shared personal memories of their joint service and the restoration of the Lavra.
Archpriest Viktor Ivashchuk, longtime subdeacon and assistant to His Beatitude, spoke about Metropolitan Volodymyr’s simplicity, warmth, and fatherly love. Abbess Stefanа (Bandura), head of the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk stavropegial convent in the village of Zymne of the Volodymyr–Volynskyi Eparchy, recalled his wise guidance and spiritual support throughout her monastic journey.
A special moment of the evening was the premiere of the video feature “The Voice of Love”, created by the students of the parish Sunday school named after His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan). The film presented a child’s view of the life and ministry of the Primate.
The event concluded with a common prayer and words of gratitude to the organizers. The Khmelnytskyi Eparchy continues to preserve and pass on the spiritual heritage of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr to future generations.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Lavra and the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy also commemorated the late Primate of the UOC.
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