Metropolitan Laurus visits Ukraine

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From Interfax:

Metropolitan Laurus celebrates at Kiev Monastery of the Caves

Moscow, May 24, Interfax - The delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia led by Metropolitan Laurus have begun their official visit to Ukraine.

On Wednesday, His Eminence Laurus visited the Glinsky monastic hermitage and the town of Glukhov, and today, the Day of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, he and Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine concelebrated the liturgy at the Dormition Cathedral in the Kiev Monastery of the Caves.

After the service, Metropolitan Onufry of Chernovtsy and Bukovina, speaking to the congregation, noted that Metropolitan Laurus’s visit to the oldest monastery in Russia was very symbolic, for ‘it is the cradle of all the Russian monasteries. All the Russian saints to whom our compatriots pray both inside Russia and in the Russian diaspora are in spiritual kinship with the Kiev Monastery of the Caves’.

The liturgy was attended by a great number of pilgrims who asked Metropolitan Laurus’s blessing. After the service a festive repast was shared.

It is planned that while in the monastery Metropolitan Laurus will also revere the relics of Kievan saints in the Caves.

This Sunday, Metropolitan Laurus will celebrate the liturgy at the Trinity Cathedral of the Pochayev Monastery, which was built and consecrated by the first head of the ROCOR, Metropolitan Anthony Khrapovitsky.