On one of the Twelve Great Feasts, the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, the main dedication feast of our holy Monastery, the Divine Services in the Lavra were led by the Holy Archimandrite of the Monastery, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

The evening before, the Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church performed the all-night vigil with porting out the Shroud in the Dormition Cathedral. His Beatitude was concelebrated by Vicegerent of the Kyiv-Caves Lavra Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, Head of the UOC Administration Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, the array of archpastors, brethren and guests of the Monastery in the holy rite. Lithy was headed by Bishop Theodosius of Ladan.

The all-night vigil of the brethren with the Order of the Burial of the Shroud of Mother of God, the acathistus and cross procession in the Refectory Church of venerable Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves were led by the Warden of the Far Caves, Archimandrite Damian. After singing the great glorification, the cross procession was made around the Dormition Cathedral with the Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos.

On the very day of the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius in co-service of Vicegerent of the Monastery Metropolitan Pavel, preconsecrated archpastors, brethren and numerous guests of the Lavra, led the Divine Liturgy on the square in front of the Dormition Cathedral.

Also during the Liturgy in the Great Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, jointly with the array of archpastors, performed archbishop ordination of Archimandrite Irinarch (Timchuk) to the Bishop of Novopskov, Vicar of the Severodonetsk Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

After reading the Gospel, the Head of UOC addressed the parish with a sermon speech, in which he spoke about the Most Holy Theotokos and how Her wondrous Dormition happened, continuing thereafter: “The Holy Church tells us that the Mother of God is always with us, as is stated in the troparion of the Dormition feast. She is always with us, but we must always turn to Her in prayer, especially when one has hardships. She is the strongest pleader to God for us, She is always next to those who need help, one just needs to call Her name.

And not only in sickness, but also when we have prosperity, we must be grateful to God for everything and appeal to the Mother of God to also help us maintain balance, not to ascend, not to take pride, but to humbly thank God for the good. When we are experiencing something severe, we must pray to the Most Holy Theotokos not to surrender to despair, but to endure everything with dignity as a Christian should endure, and therefore receive the forgiveness of all our sins.

May the Lord through the prayers of the Most Holy Virgin Mary bless all of us and help us live on earth so that we deserve eternal salvation in Heaven in Christ Jesus, our Lord!”

During the Liturgy, augmented petitions and the prayer read “during a withering pestilence” were offered up.

During the Divine Service, priest and deacon ordinations were performed. At the end of the Liturgy, the concelebrating archpastors, clergy, Lavra parishioners and numerous pilgrims, led by the Primate, held the cross procession around the Lavra from the Dormition Cathedral to the Near Caves, where a prayer service was performed, whereafter all the faithful were sprinkled with the holy water, and longevity was sung to the consecrated convocation. Also, all the present at the celebrations were offered a festive meal.

Photo Gallery: