The fourth day of Patriarch Kirill’s Visit

The fourth day of Patriarch Kirill’s visit began with the Divine Liturgy at Svyatogorsk Lavra

On July 30, the commemoration of the Svyatogorsk Icon of the Mother of God, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived to the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra, where he was met with bread and salt and the flowers by Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol, holy archimandrite of Svyatogorsk Lavra and Deputy Abbot of Lavra Bishop Arseny and a host of clergymen of the Diocese of Donetsk and neighboring dioceses.

His Holiness the Patriarch walked along the Lavra, blessed the faithful, whose number totaled some 20 thousand people and greeted them on the holiday.

The Divine liturgy was held at the Holy Dormition Church of Lavra, concelebrating with his Holiness the Patriarch were His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir and 20 hierarchs of the Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches.

After the Divine Liturgy the clergymen walked in a sacred procession with the Icon of the Mother of God of Svyatogorsk from the Church to the stele of the Mother of God, where they performed a prayer service in her honor.

Deputy Abbot of Lavra, Vicar of the Diocese of Donetsk Bishop Arseniy addressed His Holiness with words of greeting in the holy land of Donbass. “You have visited us for the first time. It is a second Pascha for the inhabitants of Donbass. We were getting ready for Your arrival, since we love You”, said the deputy Abbot of Lavra and offered his Holiness as a present the Svyatogorsk Icon of the Mother of God, which will remind the Patriarch of the visit to the youngest Ukrainian Lavra.

Then the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the pilgrims with a speech.
His Holiness the Patriarch told of the joy with which he set foot on the land of Lavra, and on the example of the abode he explained that one has to rely on God’s wisdom instead of being guided the human one.

In his sermon the First Hierarch touched upon the issue of significance of the Liturgy and the Holy Communion for the faithful, and the issues of the church schism in Ukraine.
His Holiness extended special gratitude to the Deputy Abbot of Lavra Metropolitan Hilarion of Donetsk and Mariupol and bestowed them with panagias. His Holiness blessed to distribute between the pilgrims the Icons of the Holy Equal-to-the Apostles Prince Vladimir.

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