KIEV: June 11, 2019
On the Sunday after the Ascension of the Lord, Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan participates in Divine Liturgy at the Kievan Lavra of the Caves

On June 9, 2019, the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onouphry of Kiev and All Ukraine celebrated Divine Liturgy at the Kievan Lavra of the Caves. His Beatitude was joined by His Eminence Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl; His Eminence Archbishop Varsonofy of Vinnitsa and Barsk; His Grace Bishop Alexy of Voznesensk and Pervomaisk; His Grace Bishop Nicholas of Manhattan, Deputy Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia; His Grace Bishop Viktor of Baryshevsk; His Grace Bishop Sylvester of Belogorodsk, Rector of the Kievan Theological Schools, and the monastery’s brethren and visiting clergy.

Metropolitan Onouphry, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, delivered a sermon. The prayer for peace in Ukraine was read during the service, along with a prayer for the unity of the Orthodox Church.

The Rite of Glorification was performed for the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council at the end of Liturgy, after which His Beatitude told the worshipers about how the early Fathers defended the Orthodox Christian Faith in the early years of the Church, pointing out the importance of preserving the purity of the Orthodox Faith.

“We must thank God that He has allowed us to become heirs to those courageous Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council who preserved the purity of the Orthodox Faith. We must preserve this faith unblemished,” he continued. “Without adding anything, without subtracting anything. Even if we are few in number, our faith will prevail, because the Truth is Christ, and Christ is the Victor. May the Lord enable us to be preservers of the Holy Orthodox Faith and servants of the faith, and let us live by it.”

news.church.ua