Visit of the Bethlehem Theotokos Icon to Kyiv Completed

Ukrainian Orthodox Church

The Miracle-working Bethlehem Icon of the Mother of God visited Kyiv on April 3 through 11.

On April 3 the shrine was delivered to Kyiv by the official delegation of the UOC headed by Archbishop Anthony of Boryspil and Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy.

At the holy gates of Lavra the icon was met by the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr, who held the prayer service at the icon in the square in front of the Holy Dormition Cathedral.

On April 4, on the feast of the Radiant Resurrection of Christ the icon was solemnly carried by the sacred procession from the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to the construction site of the UOC Cathedral of Resurrection of Christ (Kyiv, Zaliznychne shosse, 3), where it stayed at the Church of All Saints during a week.

On April 11, the last day of the visit of the Icon to the capital of Ukraine the Divine Liturgy was officiated by the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Also that day at the blessing of His beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr Bishop Hilary of Makariv performed thanksgiving prayer service at the Bethlehem Icon of the Mother of God.

Within this period the divine liturgy was performed daily at the church, the prayer services and akathist services were held at the miracle-working icon.

In total, during the visit of the miracle-working icon at the Church of All Saints more than 200000 faithful came to venerate it.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr Visits Holy Land

The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church set off for the Holy Land, accompanying the Bethlehem Icon of the Mother of God that stayed in Ukraine April 3 through 11.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr visited the town Bethlehem, to which he brought back the shrine, and prayed at the Cave of the Nativity of Christ.

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