Why the Lavra’s patronal feast passed in silence
Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Photo: Lavra Reserve
May 3 marks one of the principal feasts of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra – the commemoration of St. Theodosius, a founder and spiritual pillar of the monastery. In the UOC, it is observed on May 16 due to the calendar difference. Traditionally, this day filled the Lavra with prayer, crowds, and solemn services.
This year, however, the feast passed almost unnoticed in the “OCU Lavra.” There is no trace of any celebration on the organization’s official platforms. On a day that should stand at the heart of the monastery’s liturgical life, there was silence.
Instead of honoring the saint, the “OCU abbot” Avraamiy Lotysh left for Khmelnytskyi, where Serhiy Dumenko was visiting.
The irony is striking. Not long ago, by decision of the OCU synod, monks from the Theodosius Monastery were relocated to the Lavra. If anyone should have marked this feast, it was them.
Yet the pattern remains unchanged: the Lavra appears active only in the presence of Dumenko. Without him, there are not only no crowds – there is no worship. And on the day dedicated to one of its founding saints, even its own “abbot” was nowhere to be found.
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