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The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the square before the Cathedral of the Dormition at the Laura of the Caves in Kiev on 25 June 2019, the commemoration day of his heavenly patron St. Onufry the Great. Representatives of many Local Orthodox Churches took part in the celebration of Metropolitan Onufry’s Name Day, his 75th birthday and the 5th anniversary of his primatial ministry.

Joining the celebrations were guests from the Local Orthodox Churches Metropolitan Meletios of Cathage (Orthodox Church of Alexandria), Metropolitan Timotheos of Bostra (Orthodox Church of Jerusalem), Bishop Antonije of Moravica, representative of the Patriarch of Serbia to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (Serbian Orthodox Church), Metropolitan Gavriil of Loveč (Bulgarian Orthodox Church), Metropolitan Isaias of Tamasos and Oreini (Orthodox Church of Cyprus), and Archbishop Michal of Prague (Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia).

Ten hierarchs and dozens of priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, two hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church concelebrated; thousands of believers of the canonical Church prayed together with their Primate.

After the Reading from the Gospel, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon. He told the worshippers about the life of St. Onufry the Great, underscoring the meaning of the holy hermits’s feat. “He found spiritual sanctity in the wilderness, he found happiness, joy and peace, – all that a human being needs. Happiness can be found not in something secular, but in God. A man who lives with God in his heart, whether rich or poor, a learned person or not, finds peace, happiness and joy. “

Many Years was sung to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine after the dismissal.

Congratulatory message of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was read out by Metropolitan Sergy of Singapore and Southeast Asia. Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail, senior bishop by consecration, read greetings on behalf of the plenitude of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The guests from the Local Orthodox Churches presented congratulatory addresses from the Primates of their Churches to His Beatitude Onufry greeted him with his three memorable dates, and handed over high awards of the Local Churches and memorable gifts.

Metropolitan Onufry thanked all guests from the Local Churches and clerics of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and after the divine service received greetings from the worshippers.