On the Sunday preceding the great feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, the Orthodox Church especially honours the memory of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, at which the Arian heresy — denying the Eternal Begetting of God the Son from God the Father and Their consubstantiality — was condemned, and the foundation of the Creed, which our Church confesses unchanged to this day, was affirmed.

Festal conciliar services were celebrated in the Lavra church dedicated to Venerable Agapitus of the Kyiv Caves.

The All-Night Vigil, and on the Sunday itself the Divine Liturgy, were led by the Sacred Archimandrite of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

During the divine services, the Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was concelebrated by Archbishop Lavr of Irpin, Archbishop Mark of Borodianka, as well as the brethren and guests of the monastery in the sacred rank, headed by the spiritual father of the monastery, Archimandrite Anthony.

After the Gospel reading, the First Hierarch addressed the faithful with a sermon, recalling the events connected with the First Ecumenical Council of 325 and its significance for the affirmation of Orthodoxy.

“We today honour the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council and ask that through their prayers the Lord may help us also to preserve the purity of the holy Orthodox faith, that we may love God and our neighbour according to the commandment of God, upon which all Scripture and the whole Law of God are founded. This is the path that leads us to eternal life in the Heavenly Kingdom in Christ Jesus our Lord, unto Whom belong glory and honour unto the ages of ages!” — wished the Head of the UOC to all those praying.

During the services, special petitions were offered for the granting of peace and tranquillity in our Ukrainian land and deliverance from every enemy and adversary, as well as for God’s blessing upon those who are sheltering people forced to leave their native homes.

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