Prague, September 8, 2022
pp-eparchie.cz
September 4, 2022, marked the 80th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Gorazd of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia at the hands of Nazis in Prague.
In honor of the date, the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, joined by hierarchs and clerics of the Ukrainian Church, and by clerics of the Russian Church and the Orthodox Church in America, celebrated the feast of St. Gorazd both at its Prague cathedral and at the Monastery of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Hořovičky.
The celebration began on September 3 with Great Vespers at the Cathedral of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Prague, for which Fr. Edward Henderson of the Orthodox Church in America’s Diocese of the West joined the cathedral clergy.
L to R: Abp. Juraj, Abp. Michael, Met. Philip (UOC), and Bp. Jachým at the cathedral. Photo: Facebook
The next morning, Matins and the Divine Liturgy were celebrated at the cathedral by His Eminence Archbishop Michael of Prague, His Eminence Archbishop Juraj of of Michalovce and Košice, and His Grace Bishop Jachým of Beroun of the Czech-Slovak Church, together with a delegation from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church led by His Eminence Metropolitan Philip of Poltava and Mirgorod, and the aforementioned Fr. Edward, according to the OCA priest and as seen in photos on the page of the Holy Protection Monastery in Rakoshino, Ukraine.
In the afternoon, a panikhida was served at the former Kobylisy shooting range in Prague, where the Nazis carried out mass executions, followed by prayers at the St. Gorazd memorial plaque at Pankrác Prison in Prague.
Hierarchs L to R: Abp. Michael, Met. Philip, and Abp. Juraj at the monastery with local and visiting clergy. Photo: podvorie.cz
The next day, Met. Philip of Poltava presided over the Liturgy at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Monastery in Gorzhovichka, concelebrated by Abp. Michael and Abp. Juraj. Archpriest Nikolai Lischenyuk of the Russian Orthodox representation church in Karlovy Very was also invited to serve, the ROC representation reports.
After the service, Abp. Michael presented commemorative medals to the clergy.
Read about St. Gorazd in the article, “A Twentieth Century Western Orthodox Missionary.”
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