Pleskachovka, Cherkasy Province, Ukraine, April 9, 2021
Photo: cherkasy.church.ua
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has more than 250 monasteries and more than 45,000 monastics laboring in the spiritual life, and those numbers continue to grow.
With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Theodosy of Cherkasy, the Convent of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga in the village of Pleskachovka in the Cherkasy Province was officially established, becoming the 256th monastery of the UOC. The community consists of a group of sisters, some of whom will take monastic vows during Great Lent, reports the diocesan press service.
Photo: cherkasy.church.ua
The sisters lead a solitary life of prayer on their own extensive plot of land, where monastic cells are being built and the foundation of the Church of St Olga has been laid. The church is designed in the old Byzantine style, using the architectural forms of some ancient churches that are still preserved in Crimea.
The sisters have a small subsidiary farm, breed fish in their own artificial pond, and grow fruits and vegetables.
Visiting the sisterhood, Abp. Theodosy wished them God’s blessing in developing the monastery and their spiritual lives. If the Lord blesses the initiative and the sisterhood grows in numbers and spiritually, then His Eminence will officially petition the Synod of the UOC for the establishment of a full-fledged convent on the basis of the St. Olga sisterhood.
Abp. Theodosy appointed Archimandrite Alexei of the nearby St. Alexei Monastery as the confessor of the newly-formed convent.
To date, there are 8 monasteries and two monastic communities in the Cherkasy Diocese: 7 women’s and 3 men’s, including 221 monastics, 143 of whom are tonsured.
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