Patriarch Filaret Visits Ternopil Oblast

On August 10, on the occasion of the consecration of the Well of the Holy Mother of God dedicated to Her wonder-working icon “All-Queen,” Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP) came to Ternopil Oblast. According to the press service of the UOC-KP, the patriarch was accompanied by Metropolitan Antonii of Khmelnytskyi and Kamianets-Podilskyi with the eparchy clergy. They were met by public figures and representatives of the self-government bodies of Husiatyn, Chortkiv and Terebovlia District, clergymen and faithful.

Last Saturday, the patriarch led a liturgy and acathistus to the Holy Mother of God in concelebration with Metropolitan Dymytrii of Lviv and Sokal, Metropolitan Danylo of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna, Metropolitan Antonii of Khmelnytskyi and Kamianets-Podilskyi, Archbishop Nestor of Ternopil and Buchach, Bishop Kiril of Uzhhorod and Transcarpathia, Bishop Marko of Chernivtsi and Kitsman, Bishop Pavlo of Ternopil and Terebovlia and seventy priests from various eparchies.

On the invitation of Archpriest Mykhail Levkovych, the event was attended by Eparch of Buchach of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Bishop Dmytro (Hryhorak) with other clergymen and a priest of the Roman Catholic Church of the town of Chortkiv. Hundreds of pilgrims from various regions also attended the service.

In his sermon, Patriarch Filaret stressed that Ukrainians should prove worthy of the newly regained independence. According to him, the main task of the Ukrainian society today is to achieve unity. He called the Ukrainians to protect the native language, state and church.

At the end of the service, the patriarch presented the Order of St. Nicholas to the ex-governor of Ternopil Oblast, Yurii Chyzhmar.