Ukrainian Orthodox Church prayerfully celebrates the 45th anniversary of episcopal consecration of its Primate

9/7/2011

On July 9, commemoration of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Volodymyr of Kyiv and All Ukraine marked the 45th anniversary of his episcopal consecration.

On the day of celebration the primate in concelebration of the synaxis of bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the clergy of the Diocese of Kyiv celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the open air – in the square before the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Also praying at the festive divine service the delegates of the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, MPs and other high officials.

In the course of the Liturgy the Primate elevated to the rank of metropolitan Archbishop Serhii of Ternopil and Kremenets and Archbishop Simeon of Vinnytsia and Mohyliov-Podilskyy, and Bishop Panteleimon of Uman and Zvenigorod to the rank of Archbishop.

At the end of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Agathangel of Odessa and Izmail on behalf of the plenitude Ukrainian Orthodox Church congratulated His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr on the anniversary of his bishop consecration and presented the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God as a gift.

In his turn the Archpastor thanked the clergy and flock for the greeting words and congratulations and greeted the clergymen and flock on commemoration of the Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God.

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On June 23, 1966, 45 years ago, Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod elected Archimandrite Volodymyr as bishop of Zvenyhorod, vicar of the Moscow diocese, with a mandate to act as representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in the World Council of Churches.

The ceremony of bishop consecration was led by Metropolitan Pimen of Krutitsy and Kolomna (Izvekov), later Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. The ceremony was performed on the feast of Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God July 9, 1966 at the Holy Dormition Cathedral of Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra.

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