UOC Primate leads festivities on the Feast of Venerable Anthony of the Caves

On July 23, 2025, the feast day of Venerable Anthony of the Caves – the father of monasticism in Rus’ – His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry presided over the festive Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. This was reported by the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

The Primate celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. Agapitus.

Concelebrating with His Beatitude were: Metropolitan Sergiy of Ternopil and Kremenets, Metropolitan Theodor of Kamianets-Podilskyi and Horodok, Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, Metropolitan Clement of Nizhyn and Pryluky, a host of hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, clergy of the Lavra, and visiting priests.

After the reading of the Gospel, His Beatitude delivered a homily to the faithful, speaking about the life and spiritual labors of Venerable Anthony of the Caves.

“Venerable Anthony is one of the great saints who adorn the heavens of the Church. His holiness shone on this Kyiv hill, in this place, on our land, as a bright star showing people the path that leads to God, to Heaven, and to eternal salvation,” the Primate reminded.

During the augmented litany, prayers were offered for peace in Ukraine and deliverance from the enemy, that the Lord may look upon the people with mercy and preserve those in despair who have lost their homes; for God’s blessing upon people of goodwill who help those in need. His Beatitude pleaded with God for mercy upon the Ukrainian people: that He would grant wisdom to the authorities, courage to the soldiers, freedom to the captives, healing to the sick, and shelter to the homeless.

Special prayers were also lifted for the brethren who received the name of Venerable and God-bearing Father Anthony at monastic tonsure – Archimandrites Anthony (Olyferovych), Anthony (Novytskyi), and Anthony (Romanyshyn).

Following the Liturgy, the clergy, led by Metropolitan Onuphry, celebrated a service of glorification with a prayer to Venerable Anthony.

After the dismissal, the Primate congratulated Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary on his name day. Metropolitan Anthony then offered words of gratitude.

As previously reported by the UOJ, on the eve of the feast, His Beatitude led the all-night vigil at the Lavra.