Kiev, December 10, 2020
Photo: news.church.ua
Yesterday, during the final session of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for 2020, His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary, the Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, presented a report on the life of the Church over the past year.
Met. Anthony’s report details that, despite the persecution from government authorities and violent schismatics, the canonical Ukrainian Church continues to grow in numbers and spirituality.
According to the data provided by Met. Anthony, the number of parishes of the UOC has grown to 12,374—an increase of 36 over last year.
The total number of hierarchs increased by 9 to 108, and the total number of clergymen increased by 45 to 12,456.
The total number of full-time students in higher theological educational institutions increased by 159 to 1,531, and a new theological educational institution began to operate in 2020.
A new convent, the Hermitage of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the Belotserkov Diocese, was established this year, bringing the total number of monasteries to 255. Unfortunately, due in part to the pandemic, the total number of monastics fell by 61 to 4,548.
The Synod also added 2 wonderworking icons of the Mother of God to the Church calendar and canonized 4 ascetics of piety.
At its session on December 6, the Synod resolved to glorify the Samara and Viliya Icons, and Abbess Seraphima of the Koretsky-Holy Trinity Convent (+1633). It also established the feast of the Synaxis of Saints of Taurida Theological Seminary.
On March 18, the Holy Synod approved the Hieromartyrs Vasily Vakhnin, Joseph Chekhranov, and Theodore Romanovsky for local veneration in the Kamensk Diocese. At the same session, the Synod also added Hieromartyr Pavel Voinarsky and the Martyrs Alexei and Pavel Kiryan to the Synaxis of the New Martyrs of Berdyansk.
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