On the eve of the great feast of Holy Theophany, the services of the All-Night Vigil were celebrated at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Great Compline with the festal litia and Matins in the church dedicated to Saint Agapitus of the Caves were led by the Holy Archimandrite of the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

Concelebrating with His Beatitude were Metropolitan Antony of Boryspil and Brovary, Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church; Archbishop Lavr of Irpin; Archbishop Mark of Borodianka; as well as the brethren of the monastery and visiting clergy in the sacred rank. The liturgical hymns were sung by the choirs of the Kyiv Metropolia and the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary.

On the feast day itself, the Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the same church.

“When our Lord Jesus Christ came down to the earth, He both saved mankind and sanctified creation, which had been wounded by human sin. May the Lord help us, dear brothers and sisters, to be faithful followers of the teaching which He brought into the world and confirmed by His life and example. Then we shall be not only children of this earthly life, but also children of salvation in Heaven, in Christ Jesus our Lord!”, His Beatitude wished all those who had gathered for prayer.

At the conclusion His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy performed the Great Blessing of Waters.

The brethren’s night service was celebrated in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross.

The early Divine Liturgy in the church dedicated to the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, “Joy of All Who Sorrow”, was led by Archimandrite Ioann, overseer of the Near Caves, concelebrated by the clergy of the monastery.

Following the services, a festal glorification was offered before the праздничная icon placed in the centre of the church.

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