On the eve of the great Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, the all-night vigil in the Kyiv-Caves Lavra was led by the Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

During the solemn divine service, the Head of the UOC was joined by metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chornobyl, the Vicegerent of the Kyiv-Caves Monastery, by the Head of the UOC Administration, metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, archbishop Panteleimon of Bucha, bishop Markus of Borodyanka as well as brethren and guests of the monastery in the holy rite.

On the day of the feast, the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Agapitus of the Caves was headed by His Eminence Pavel.

During the divine service, augmented petitions were raised for peace in our Ukrainian land and deliverance from every enemy and apostate, for God’s blessing for the hosts of those forced to leave their homes.

At the end of the Liturgy, a glorification in front of the feast’s icon was sang, whereafter the Vicegerent of the Lavra congratulated the co-serving hierarchs, brethren and all the faithful on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, and the communicants on the acceptance of the Body and Blood of Christ, and called on God’s blessing for the parish.

“I congratulate you, dear brothers and sisters, on the Great Feast of the Ascension of the Lord! – said His Eminence addressing the parish with a parting speech. – “Our Savior Jesus Christ continues to bless His Church even now, giving us His Divine Word in the Gospel. May He enter our hearts and find a place in our lives, and in due time of our departure from this world may He lift us up to the Heaven and put us next to Him in the eternal and blessed life!” His Eminence Pavel also recalled the terrible ordeal on the Svyatogorsk (Saint-Caves) Lavra these days: ” Pray for the victims”, – urged the Vicegerent. — ” War is always evil. May the Lord end this. Woe are those who intermediate temptations, but this is a temporary phenomenon, may the Lord strengthen us and send the long-awaited peace to our long-suffering land!”

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