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Greek Catholics to Celebrate 1020th Anniversary of Baptism of Kyivan Rus
17-07-2008
17.07.2008, [16:05] // UGCC //
On 27 July 2008 at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv (metro station Livoberezhna, Mykil'sko-Slobids'ka St., 5), a celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus-Ukraine will take place. The celebration will begin at 9:00 with a pontifical Divine Liturgy at which Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), will preside.
It is expected that bishops of the UGCC from Ukraine, numerous priests and lay people from various regions of our country, and guests from abroad will take part in the Liturgy.
About the importance of this event, Bishop Bohdan (Dzyurakh), secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC and auxiliary bishop of the Archeparchy of Kyiv, in particular said: "We want to thank the Lord for what happened 1020 years ago, namely, the joining of the Ukrainian nation to the family of the children of God, which was accomplished by divine grace and the initiative of the Great Prince of Kyiv Saint Volodymyr." The bishop reported that representatives of all the eparchies and exarchates of Ukraine were invited to the celebration, "in order to glorify the Lord with joint prayer for the great gift of baptism which our land has received... In addition to this, each of us, faithful of the UGCC, has received baptism, which is why this celebration should become a good occasion for each in particular to thank God for the gift of faith, and on the other hand, to renew the connection with Jesus Christ. Exactly for this purpose after the Divine Liturgy near the Dnipro a ceremony blessing the water will be carried out with the order of renewing baptismal vows." So said the secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.
At the completion of the celebration a concert program with participation of the Dudaryk choir from Lviv and the child-youth band Korali from Vyshhorod will take place.
"We hope that this feast will bring fruits for the whole church, and pilgrims who arrive from the various corners of Ukraine will bring back to their native homes a renewed consciousness of their own Christian roots and, in particular, consciousness of the Kyivan roots of our church, in the fact that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is a church of Volodymyr's baptism," Bishop Bohdan said in conclusion.
On 27 July in all the Greek Catholic parishes of Ukraine similar Divine Liturgies of thanksgiving will be held, for the gift of baptism with the renewal of baptismal vows.
The hierarchy of the UGCC will also take part in those events which on the occasion of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus are being organized by the state.
