“We pray for everyone and bear no grudge against anyone”, His Holiness said at the Holy Trinity Convent of Korets

On August 2, 2009, on the insistent demands of the state authorities of Ukraine the route of Patriarch’s tour of the dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was changed. That day in the evening His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia arrived to the Stauropegial Holy Trinity Resurrection Convent of Korets.

At the walls of the Convent of Korets the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church was greeted by head of the regional administration of Rivne V.I.Matchuk. At the holy gates of the monastery, decorated by the flowers on this occasion, His Holiness the Patriarch was met by His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Archbishop Varfolomiy of Rivne and Ostroh, other hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Mother Superior of the Convent hegumeness Rafaela (Khilchuk) with nuns, representatives of the authorities, including Chairman of the local council A.I.Danilchuk, head of the regional administration of Korets A.I.Kovalenko, more than 3000 residents of the city and pilgrims.

The children recited the verses, following which all those present sang “Many years” to his Holiness. The motto “Kirill is our Patriarch!” was also chanted.
His Holiness followed to the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Convent. Having bowed unto the shrines of the church, he addressed with Primate’s word the nuns and all those who gathered in the monastery that day.

On the part of the nuns of the convent hegumeness Rafaela addressed the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Then His Holiness conducted memorial Litia at the place of burial of the deceased abbesses of the Korets. Praying at the memorial Litia were His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir, bishops, accompanying His Holiness the Patriarch in his archpastoral and pilgrimage tour of Ukraine: Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchy Archbishop Varsonofy of Saransk and Mordova, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchy Bishop Sergy of Solnechnogorsk, hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and numerous pilgrims.

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