Kiev, December 11, 2023
Photo: news.church.ua
On December 9, 1990, then-Archimandrite Onuphry (Berezovsky) was consecrated Bishop of Chernivtsi and Bukovina. He has been primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church since August 13, 2014.
Over the weekend, he celebrated the 33rd anniversary of his episcopal consecration at St. Panteleimon’s Convent in Kiev, beginning with the All-Night Vigil on Friday night, reports the Information-Education Department of the UOC.
His Beatitude was concelebrated by a host of bishops and local and visiting clergy. The next morning, he was joined by 33 hierarchs and a host of clergy for the Divine Liturgy at the same monastery.
Prayers for peace and for all those who suffer were offered during the service.
Reflecting upon his decades of service to the Church, His Beatitude told his flock: “If anything was good, it was only through your prayers and with your help.”
And encouraging the people, he emphasized that despite all the present difficulties and temptations, “we must thank God for everything, love God and our neighbor, and endure everything that God allows,” for which, “there will be a great reward, not only on Earth, but also in Heaven.”
Photo: news.church.ua
“For a Christian there is always a bright hope. For those who do not know Christ, the future is dark and incomprehensible. But for those who know and love Christ, there is always, wherever they may be, light at the end of the tunnel, and this light is our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” the Ukrainian primate concluded.
His Beatitude received greetings from brother primates, including His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of Washington and All America and Canada, and His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
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