Metropolitan Volodymyr’s Visit to Western Dioceses of UOC Completed

Report

By tradition, in Christmastide the Primate of our Church His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr makes archpastoral visit to the dioceses of the western region of Ukraine in the time of Christmastide. Such visit was also made this year and lasted from January 9 till 15. During a week His Beatitude greeted on Christmas the residents of the regions of Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Volodymyr-Volynskyy and Rivne.

On January 9 Metropolitan Volodymyr called to the Holy Trinity Convent of Korets in Rivne region.

In the convent the Primate was received by Archbishop Varfolomiy of Rivne and Ostroh, monastery superior hegumeness Rafaela (Khilchuk), nuns and numerous parishioners whom the Metropolitan greeted on the glorious feast of the Nativity of Christ, following which he called to the choirmaster school, run by the monastery. Its pupils and the students of the Sunday school played a theatrical performance on Christmas theme.

The same day the Archpastor arrived to the Holy Dormition Pochayiv Lavra. There His Beatitude Metropolitan was met by the monastery brethren headed by its Deputy Abbot Archbishop Volodymyr of Pochayiv. On Sunday, January 10, His Beatitude Metropolitan, in concelebration of Deputy Abbot of Lavra Archbishop Pavel of Vyshgorod, Deputy Abbot of the Pochayiv Lavra Archbishop Volodymyr of Pochayiv, Secretary for the UOC Primate Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy and brethren clergy of the monastery celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the monastery.

Metropolitan Volodymyr greeted the monastery brethren and the parishioners on Christmas and prayerfully venerated the shrines of the Pochayiv Lavra.

The same day the Primate called to the Theophany Convent of Kremenets in Ternopil region.

The Primate was met with the Christmas carols by the monastery superior hegumeness Marionila (Panasiuk), the nuns of the convent, pupils of the Sunday school and the parishioners, whom he greeted on the feast of the Nativity of Christ.

Thereafter Metropolitan called to the skete of the Holy Righteous Anna of the St. Nicholas Convent of Horodok, which is in the village of Onyshkivtsi, Dubensky district of the Rivne region.

At the convent the Archpastor was received by hegumeness Michaela (Zayets) and nuns bearting obedience at that convent.

On January 11-12 His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr stayed at the Svyatogorsk Holy Dormition Stauropegial Convent of Zymne (village Zymne, Volyn region).

On Tuesday, January 12, the Prime-Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko called to the Convent of Zymne, where she looked over the convent and bowed to its shrines in the company of its Mother Superior, hegumeness Seraphima (Bandura).

Also, staying at the abode, the head of the government had a meeting and communication with the UOC Primate.

On January 13 the Archpastor called to the St.Nicholas Convent of Horodok, the Diocese of Rivne, where he was received by the ruling bishop of the diocese Archbishop Varfolomit of Rivne and Ostroh, and the superior of the convent, hegumeness Michaekla (Zayets) with nuns.

His Beatitude blessed and greeted on the holiday the nuns and parishioners of the convent, and bowed unto the venerated local shrine – the icon of the Mother of God of Kozelshchensk, which had been solemnly passed from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra 10 years ago.

On January 14, the feast of the Circumcision of Christ and the commemoration of St. Basil the Great, in concelebration of Archbishop Varfolomiy of Rivne and Ostroh, Deputy Abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Archbishop Pavel of Vyshgorod and Secretary for the UOC Primate Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy Metropolitan Volodymyr celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. George Church of Rivne – the metochion of St. Nicholas Monastery of Horodok.
Upon completion of the divine service the Primate greeted the Residents of Rivne on the Nativity of Christ and the New Year, and greeted His Eminence Archbishop Varfolomiy on the 20th anniversary of foundation of the Diocese of Rivne, which was created through singling it out from the Diocese of Volyn in 1990.

The same day the Archpastor had communication with the authorities of the city and region, in particular, with the chairman of the Rivne regional state administration Victor Matchuk.

Also that day the Primate called to the regional museum of regional studies and passed the facsimile edition of the Peresopnysia Gospels executed by the joint efforts of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, dedicated to the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus. It should be noted that the Peresopnytsia Gospels comes from Rivne region, since it was written in the territory of the present Peresopnytsia village 450 years ago on the order of Princess Anastasia Zaslavska.

On January 15, the commemoration of the venerable Seraphim of Sarov the Archpastor celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Horodnytsia Stauropegial St. George Monastery in Zhytomyr region.

Concelebrating with him were Archbishop Pavel of Vyshgorod, Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy and Bishop Alexander of Horodnytsia.

This day the Primate returned to the capital.

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