Kiev, April 9, 2020
Vladyka Jonah of Obukhov. Photo: Facebook
His Eminence Archbishop Jonah (Cherepanov) of Obukhov of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been diagnosed with the coronavirus and is now in self-isolation, the hierarch reports on his Facebook page today.
Abp. Jonah is the abbot of Holy Trinity-St. Jonas Monastery in Kiev and head of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs.
“Friends, I have been touched by the world’s plague,” Abp. Jonah writes. “After the Sunday service on the street, my temperature rose, reaching 100.4 on Monday, and I decided to do the test just in case.”
“Yesterday I found out that it was positive,” His Eminence writes.
“I feel normal now. In the morning my temperature was 98. I’m in complete isolation. Services continue in the monastery as usual, but without parishioners, as the botanical garden is closed for quarantine,” Abp. Jonah continues, noting that it’s no surprise that he got it, considering how many contacts he has.
On April 5, police blocked the entrance to the N. N. Grishko Botanical Garden in Kiev where the monastery is located. The monastery’s service can be viewed live on its YouTube page.
Abp. Jonah is under doctors’ care and is handling all monastery affairs remotely.
“I ask for prayers both for me and for the brethren! Glory to God for all things!” the hierarch concludes.
Meanwhile, there are four confirmed cases of the virus amongst the brethren of the Kiev Caves Lavra, Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko announced on Monday.
The brethren and the abbot, His Eminence Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, were all tested, though it is unknown which of the monks tested positive.
In accordance with sanitary requirements, all premises of the Lavra have been disinfected, and Church services are being served behind closed doors, without parishioners and pilgrims, though the services are being livestreamed on the monastery’s YouTube page.
Met. Pavel addressed the situation in a video published on the feast of the Annunciation on Tuesday.
“The gates of the Lavra are closed for a while so this plague of the 21st century can subside. The majority of the brothers did the test just today,” he said. “I am under doctors’ care, and the brethren too.”
“We’re not angels, and we also have to right to get sick, although we’d like not to, but the Lord has thus arranged that we have to suffer. I believe and hope that with the grace of God and by the prayers of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry, everything will be good here for Palm Sunday,” Met. Pavel said.
