On the Feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God, a day of great significance, tribute was paid to the newest heroes—the defenders of Ukraine. Special prayers were offered for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their lives for the freedom and sovereignty of their homeland. In the morning, a memorial service was held at the Lychakiv military cemetery, where local clergy, together with the faithful, honored the memory of Ukraine’s fallen defenders and laid flowers on their graves.
The celebration continued with the Divine Liturgy, commemorating the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. The service took place in the 400-year-old Church of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos, a historic landmark with roots dating back to the princely era of Lviv. This church is intricately connected to the work of the renowned Lviv Dormition Brotherhood, which played a pivotal role in safeguarding and promoting Ukrainian Orthodoxy in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The occasion was made even more significant by the celebration of Metropolitan Makary of Lviv’s 80th anniversary. A wise and respected shepherd, Metropolitan Makary’s leadership is firmly intertwined with modern efforts to establish the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, continuing the church’s long-standing tradition of defending the faith and the nation.
