Dumenko brings people to Lavra for patronal feast of church above Far Caves

Dumenko in the church above the Lavra’s Far Caves. Photo: OCU

Epifaniy Dumenko celebrated a “liturgy” for the first time at the Church of the Conception of St. Anne in the Kyiv–Pechersk Lavra, marking the patronal feast of the church – according to the new calendar – located above the entrance to the Far Caves. This was reported by the OCU press service.

Dumenko brought around 50 “parishioners” with him to the Lavra. Under an agreement with the reserve, they were allowed onto the territory of the Lower Lavra. The Church of the Conception of St. Anne adjoins the entrance to the Far Caves and, until recently, was used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The transfer of the Church of the Conception of St. Anne is connected with decisions by the reserve, which has steadily restricted the UOC’s presence on the territory of the Lavra in recent years. The authorities subsequently opened the Far Caves to the OCU as well – a move that had previously drawn criticism from believers and clergy of the canonical Church.

As previously reported by the UOJ, the reserve earlier seized the Church of the Conception of St. Anne from the UOC, after which state authorities granted OCU representatives access to the Far Caves. These steps became part of the continuing process of placing the Lavra’s sacred sites under OCU control with the assistance of the secular authorities.

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