Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra celebrates its patronal feast

The brethren of the Sviatohirsk Lavra celebrated solemn divine services in honor of the patronal feast of the monastery. The faithful and monastics honored the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos with communal prayer, reports the monastery's website.

The ancient monastery on the Siverskyi Donets River is historically dedicated to the Mother of God, and its main cathedral is dedicated to the Feast of the Dormition. The traditional festal services at the monastery began on August 27. The clergy of the monastery read the Ninth Hour and celebrated Small Vespers with an akathist to the feast, which was performed antiphonally by the two brotherly choirs of the Lavra.

In the evening, the clergy served the All-Night Vigil. Due to martial law, the brethren celebrated the festal litia inside the church rather than in the traditional procession around the cathedral. At Matins, after the Gospel reading, the monks and pilgrims venerated the Epitaphios of the Mother of God, which the faithful had lovingly adorned with fresh flowers. After the anointing with holy oil, all those at prayer received blessed litia bread.

On the feast day itself, August 28, the clergy of the Lavra celebrated the Divine Liturgy. The brotherly choirs under the direction of Archimandrite Arseniy (Vaniushyn) and Archimandrite Raphael (Popov) performed the festal hymns. After the Liturgy, the clergy served a molieben of water blessing and proclaimed a polychronion for the monastery's abbot, Metropolitan Arseniy of Sviatohirsk, and all the residents of the monastery. The celebration concluded with the traditional communal meal.

As the UOJ reported, police have launched an investigation into the attack on the Sviatohirsk Lavra.