His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr Consecrated Holy Trinity Church in Berdyansk
Ukrainian Orthodox Church
On July 3 His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr performed consecration of the Church in the name of the Holy Trinity located in the very center of Berdyansk.
Concelebrating to His Beatitude were His Grace Yelisey, Bishop of Berdyansk and Prymorsk, His Grace Alexander, Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy and the diocesan clergy.
Praying at the divine service also was the wife of the President of Ukraine Liudmyla Yanukovych.
After the church consecration the Primate performed the Divine Liturgy there.
The Holy Trinity Church could not contain all those willing to attend the divine service. Numerous worshippers prayerfully participated in the Divine service due to the broadcasting from the church.
Upon completion of the Divine Liturgy the Primate marked with church awards those who worked especially hard for the good deed of construction of a new church.
Addressing those present with a word of admonition, the Archpastor said
“The church is a place consecrated in a special way and dedicated to God, the place of the special presence of His grace. It is the place where we meet God, His Virgin Mother His holy angels and the holy God-pleasers. There our communal prayers, communal thanksgivings and personal secret words, born in the corners of our hearts are lifted up. Here we bring our sorrows and our pains, since we realize our weakness and the depth of our sins. Here in the church man can find consolation; get purified through penance and Holy Communion.
The church of God is a place of the special mysterious presence of God among us and with us. Therefore we are to value it and know that the most sacred place on the earth is the church of God. Here a true spiritual feast is being performed at every divine service. Here all the history of our salvation is taking place. That is why we love so much our orthodox churches and construct the new ones.
The Holy Trinity Church that we have consecrated today also bears a seal of grace, abundantly sent by the Lord for our benefit, in order to stay with us. May the one who will cross the doorstep of this church get the God’s blessing and the gift of the Holy Spirit. May the mercy of God will rest on this city, on you and on everyone visiting this church”.
In his response Bishop Yelisey of Berdyansk and Prymorsk has once again thanked His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr for his visit to the Diocese of Berdyansk.
As a prayerful remembrance of the visit and the divine service celebrated, archpriest Oleh Nikolayev, rector of the church offered the UOC Primate as a gift the icon of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Berdyansk.
On July 3 in the evening His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr called to the churches of Berdyansk.
