Kiev, September 9, 2025
With the blessing of Archbishop Sylvester of Bila Tserkva, Rector of Kiev Theological Academy and Seminary, a new pilgrimage service named after St. Raphael of Brooklyn has begun operations at the Academic Church of St. John of Damascus at the Holy Protection Monastery in Goloseev.
St. Raphael of Brooklyn, who studied at the Kiev Theological Academy in the late 1800s, later became the first Orthodox bishop consecrated in North America.
The service will organize pilgrimage programs to holy sites and monasteries in Kiev and surrounding areas, focusing on deepening knowledge of Orthodox traditions and cultural-educational development, the Academy reports.
The pilgrimage service invites participation from parishioners of the Academic Church, clergy and laity of the capital, and all faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The main activities of the pilgrimage service include:
- pilgrimages to monasteries and shrines in Kiev and its environs
- tours covering the history and architecture of churches and monasteries, as well as the lives of saints
Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!