Pochaev, the Ukraine, July 9, 2016
Photo by Pravlife.org
In the morning of July 9 right after a prayer service at the Dormition Cathedral the all-Ukrainian procession of the cross started from the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra, reports the information and education department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC MP).
The procession of peace, love and prayer for the Ukraine is headed by Metropolitan Sergy of Ternopil and Kremenets, Metropolitan Vladimir of Pochaev, the Lavra’s abbot, Bishop Seraphim of Shuya, Rector of the Pochaev Theological Seminary.
The all-Ukrainian cross procession of peace, love and prayer for the Ukraine is being held with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All the Ukraine July 3 to 27.
Clergy, monks and thousands of pilgrims are walking with a prayer for peace in the Ukrainian land in their hearts. On their way they are reading Akathists to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Mother of God and saints.
Accompanied by the Pochaev icon of the Mother of God, the procession participants will follow this itinerary: Pochaev – Kremenets – Mezhrechye – Slavuta – Shepetivka – Polonne – Romanov – Chudniv – Korostyshiv – Stavishche – Sitnyaki – Makariv – Kolonshchina – Dmytrivka – Kiev (the Church of St. Theodosius of Chernigov) – Kiev (Vladimirskaya Gorka – “St. Vladimir’s Hill”).
On the first day the faithful will walk seventeen kilometers (about ten and a half miles) and will stop at the Holy Theophany Kremenets Convent.
Six days ago the procession started in the east of the country. On July 3 the faithful setting off from the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra walked through the Donetsk region, reached the Kharkiv region and are currently moving towards the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. On July 28, the Day of Baptism of Russia, the two cross processions will meet at the Holy Dormition Kiev Caves Lavra. At the end of the all-Ukrainian cross procession of peace and love a prayer service will be celebrated at Vladimirskaya Gorka (the St. Vladimir’s Hill).
Departure of the procession of the cross from the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra.
2. July 28 is the Feast of the Enlightener of Rus'-Ukraine, not the Day of the "Baptism of Russia".
3. For centuries, the annual commemoration of the "Baptism" of Rus'-Ukraine was observed on July 2(15) - the Baptism of king Oskold and the people of Kyiv in 860 (866) A.D., the so-called "first Baptism" and on August 1(14) - the (so-called third )Baptism under king Volodymyr the Great.
4. Russia as we know it today did not exist 1,000 years or even 500 years ago. The Rus' of St. Volodymyr and the "Russia" of today have as much in common as the Roman Empire and Romania, or Spain and the Hispanics of Central and South America. Both Baptisms took place at Kyiv, which was and is Rus'-Ukraine.