Metropolitan Onuphry leads celebrations for feast of St. Anthony of the Caves

Festal Liturgy on the feast of St. Anthony of the Caves. Photo: UOC

On the feast day of St. Anthony of the Caves, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry officiated at a festal service at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated on July 23, 2026, at the Church of St. Agapitus of the Caves, the UOC Information and Education Department reports.

Concelebrating with the UOC Primate were Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, Chancellor of the UOC; Metropolitan Clement of Nizhyn and Pryluky, Chairman of the UOC Information and Education Department; as well as a host of hierarchs and clergy of the monastery. The Lavra brotherhood choir sang during the service under the direction of Archimandrite Polycarp (Lynenko).

During the augmented litany, the worshippers offered prayers for peace in Ukraine and deliverance from the enemy. His Beatitude asked God to grant mercy to the people, wisdom to the authorities, courage to the soldiers, freedom for captives, and healing for the sick.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the clergy performed a rite of glorification and offered a prayer to St. Anthony of the Caves, the founder of monasticism in Rus.

At the close of the celebrations, the Primate congratulated Metropolitan Anthony on his name day. Metropolitan Anthony addressed those present with words of gratitude and sprinkled the faithful with holy water.

As the UOJ reported, on the eve of the feast of the founder of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry led the All-Night Vigil at the Church of St. Agapitus of the Caves.

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