July 28, 2018, the day of commemoration of the Holy equal to the apostles great Prince Vladimir, in Holy Baptism Basil, the celebration of the 1030-th anniversary of the baptism of Rus, his Beatitude Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine Onufry divine Liturgy in the square before the Dormition Cathedral of the Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, reports patriarhiei.
Concelebrating were Metropolitan of Khust and Vynohradiv mark, the President of the Ecclesiastical court of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Kamianets-Podilskyi and Gorodok Theodore, Abbot of the monastery the Metropolitan Vyshgorodsky and Chernobyl Paul, Chairman of the Department for external Church relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Luhansk and Alchevsk Mitrofan, Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, archbishops and clergy from the delegations of local Orthodox Churches: Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan Alexander, Irinopolis Metropolitan Dimitri (Patriarchate of Alexandria), Archbishop Theophylact of Jordan (Jerusalem Patriarchate), Metropolitan of Zugdidi and Caisse Gerasim (Georgian Orthodox Church), Bishop Moravicki Anthony (Serbian Orthodox Church), Metropolitan Starozagorski Cyprian (Bulgarian Orthodox Church), Bishop Nectarios Arsenalski (Cypriot Orthodox Church), Metropolitan Albazinskiy Anthony (Albanian Orthodox Church), Bishop Ginovski Paul (Polish Orthodox Church), Archbishop Michael George (Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia), Archpriest John Pitura, managing the Ukrainian Vicariate in Romania (Romanian Orthodox Church), Archpriest Daniel andriyuk, representative of his Beatitude Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of all America and Canada Tikhon when the Moscow Patriarchate (the Orthodox Church in America); the Assembly of bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, monks and guests of the monastery in Holy orders.
Praying at the service were thousands of parishioners and pilgrims who came to Kiev for the celebrations from all regions of Ukraine and other countries.
At the divine Liturgy, the hierarchs, clergy and believers, headed by the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church kneeling lifted up an ardent prayer for peace in Ukraine.
On the eve in Kiev, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church led the prayer service on Vladimir hill, and a Large procession, in which took part the delegates from 12 of the local Orthodox Churches and about 250 thousand faithful.
After out after the communion verse of managing Metropolitan of Boryspil and Brovarsky Anthony read the address of the episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the clergy, monastics and laity on the occasion of the 1030-th anniversary of the baptism of Rus.
After the Liturgy, Metropolitan Vladimir congratulated all the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from 1030 anniversary of the baptism of Russia and day of memory of Holy Prince Vladimir. “Holy Prince Vladimir gave us the opportunity to walk the path of Christ, — said his Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry. — We have as children of the Holy Prince Vladimir, to protect yourself from sin, no matter how it was difficult and to go to Christ.”
On the eve of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church presided at solemn Vespers at the Cathedral square in Laurel. Prayer of pilgrims in the Holy monastery continued to sound all night. In the refectory Church of Lavra in honour of the venerable Anthony and Theodosius of the caves continuously performed prayers and hymns in front of eight shrines, which were brought in a Big procession.