A festal Divine Liturgy was celebrated on August 15, 2026, at the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra for the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.
The service for the patronal feast of the Lavra’s principal cathedral was presided over by Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Concelebrating were Metropolitan Klyment of Simferopol and Crimea, Metropolitan Serhiy of Donetsk and Mariupol, Metropolitan Yevstratiy of Bila Tserkva, Archbishop Lavrentiy of Luhansk and Starobilsk, Archbishop Volodymyr of Zhytomyr and Polissia, Archbishop Agapit of Vyshhorod, Bishop Fotiy of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol, Bishop Antoniy of Chernihiv and Nizhyn, Bishop Avraamiy of Boryspil and Bishop Rafail of Makariv, together with members of the Lavra brotherhood and numerous clergy.
During the Little Entrance, the Metropolitan bestowed ecclesiastical distinctions upon members of the Lavra clergy.
Following the Gospel reading, the Primate delivered his sermon and offered a special prayer to the Lord for Ukraine, which continues to face severe trials and dangers.
Prayers were also offered for the soldiers defending Ukraine, the country’s authorities and people, as well as for the repose of all defenders of the homeland and civilians who have lost their lives during the war.
His Beatitude also ordained Hierodeacon Spyrydon (Palahnin) to the priesthood.
At the conclusion of the festal service, which was accompanied by the choir of the Ensemble of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy once again addressed the clergy and faithful on the occasion of the 975th anniversary of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Metropolitan Epifaniy: The Dormition of the Theotokos teaches us not to fear death
In his sermon, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine highlighted the humility and faith of the Mother of God.
Referring to the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Philippians, he explained that the humility of Christ and the Virgin Mary should inspire Christians to reject pride, rivalry and envy and to serve others with love.
“She was human—not an angel or a deity—but she demonstrated a humility that raised her above the angels and made her worthy of deification by grace,” Metropolitan Epifaniy said.
He noted that, despite being the Mother of the Son of God, the Virgin Mary never yielded to pride. Her words, “I am the handmaid of the Lord,” defined her entire life, from her Entry into the Temple until her blessed Dormition.
According to the Metropolitan, the Dormition itself was an expression of her humility. The Theotokos accepted the end of her earthly life with faith and entrusted her spirit to God, following the example of Christ on the Cross.
Through her Dormition, he added, the Mother of God teaches the faithful not to fear death, but to place their hope in the Saviour and trust in His promise of eternal life.
“What is truly terrible is not death itself, but death in sin,” Metropolitan Epifaniy stressed, urging Christians to fear sin and the dominion of evil more than physical death.
Concluding, he called on the faithful to follow the example of the Virgin Mary by cultivating humility and righteousness. In this way, he said, the end of earthly life will not be “a terrifying abyss, but a brief sleep from which we shall awaken in the house of the heavenly Father, in the Kingdom of the righteous.”
Source: pomisna
