Svyatogorsk, Ukraine, January 22, 2020
Photo: flickr.com
The Holy Dormition-Svyatogorsk Lavra in eastern Ukraine celebrated a major milestone on January 20, the feast of the Synaxis of St. John the Baptist, as His Eminence Metropolitan Arseny reached 25 years of his abbacy over the rapidly-expanding monastery.
In 1995, Hieromonk Arseny (Yakovenko) was elevated to the rank of igumen and given the abbot’s staff by decision of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
On the anniversary, he was concelebrated by the ordained brethren and guests of the monastery in the Holy Dormition Cathedral, reports the monastery website.
Photo: flickr.com
In addition to his duties as metropolitan and abbot, His Eminence also serves as a member of the Ukrainian Church’s Synodal Commission for the Canonization of Saints and the Russian Church’s Synodal Department for Monasteries and Monasticism.
Met. Arseny has labored greatly over the past 25 years to revive the spiritual life and buildings of the Svyatogorsk Lavra. After the first 10 years of his fruitful labors, the monastery was blessed with the honorary title of Lavra. Under his leadership, the spiritual life of the monastery continued to flourish and five sketes were built around the monastery and in the surrounding villages. Three Lavra representation churches are also being built in other villages.
Within the monastery itself, a cathedral in honor of St. Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope, and Love is being built.
Photo: flickr.com
The Lavra has also organized a number of Sunday Schools, whose students came to celebrate Met. Arseny’s anniversary and presented theatrical productions in his honor. Met. Arseny was deeply touched and thanked the children, offering them Christmas gifts.
Archimandrite Galaktion (Vuichenko) then congratulated Met. Arseny on behalf of the monastery brotherhood, and as a sign of their deep gratitude, offered him an exact copy of the staff of St. Peter the Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia, the Moscow Wonderworker, and an icon of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov).
