Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine published a message on social media reflecting on his pastoral visit to the Holy Protection Cathedral in Rivne, one of the largest churches in Ukraine. He noted that clergy and faithful gathered to honor the memory of Metropolitan Danyil (Chokalyuk) of Rivne and Ostroh on the 20th anniversary of his passing.
According to Metropolitan Epiphaniy, Metropolitan Danyil, despite his short life and early death due to illness, filled his earthly journey with profound dedication to God and the Church. He emphasized that Danyil’s talents and experience were instrumental in restoring and strengthening the Kyiv Theological School at a critical moment in Ukraine’s history, when the Church and nation urgently needed educated and well-prepared clergy.
Epiphaniy pointed out that, as both scholar and administrator, Danyil could have chosen a more comfortable path within the Russian ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Instead, he followed the call of his heart and committed himself to the mission of helping Ukraine build its independent local Church, fully aware of the challenges ahead.
Upon his appointment in the Rivne region, one of Danyil’s first initiatives was the expansion of the seminary, whose 25th anniversary the Church also marked with gratitude. Despite strong opposition from supporters of the “Russian world” in Volyn, Metropolitan Danyil successfully strengthened church life in the region while also helping to break down the artificial isolation that the Russian Orthodox Church sought to impose on Ukrainians within the global Orthodox community.
Metropolitan Epiphaniy noted that although Danyil did not live to see the Unification Council at Saint Sophia Cathedral or the granting of the Tomos of Autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarch, his contribution to these milestones was direct and substantial. His efforts, Epiphaniy said, helped bring those historic events closer.
“Today, on the 20th anniversary of his repose, we gratefully and prayerfully remember the many good works and achievements of this great Ukrainian archpastor,” Metropolitan Epiphaniy wrote. “May his memory be bright and eternal, and may his soul rejoice in heaven at the fruits his labor has borne and continues to bear.”
