Kiev, August 29, 2016
On August 28, 2016, the tenth Sunday after Pentecost and the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, Metropolitan Ioanniky (Rudnev) of Kiev and Galicia (+1900) and Schema-Hieromonk Vassian the Blind (Balashevich; +1827) were canonized during the Divine Liturgy on Sobornaya Square at the Kiev Caves Lavra, reports the information and educational department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP).
At the service which was headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine the last litia for the repose of Metropolitan Ioanniky and Schema-Hieromonk Vassian was served. After that, the decisions of the UOC-MP’s Holy Synod of April 19 and July 20, 2016 (minutes no. twenty-one and no. twenty-nine respectively) on their canonizations were announced. The lives of these two newly-canonized saints were also read out. The Synod decreed that the feast day of Venerable Vassian the Blind (Balashevich) should be celebrated on April 25/May 8, on the day of his repose, and the feast day of Holy Hierarch Ioanniky (Rudnev), Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia, should be celebrated on June 7/20, on the day of his repose.
Both saints are buried in the Kiev Caves Lavra. The grave of St. Ioanniky is situated at the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and the grave of Venerable Vassian can be found near the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.
It was earlier reported that on July 28 this year Venerable John (Vyshinsky) the Athonite, a famous ascetic on Holy Mount Athos and a zealous champion of the Orthodox faith, had been canonized by the UOC-MP as well.
