Lugansk, May 12, 2014
On May 11, the fourth Sunday of Easter, His Eminence Archbishop Metrophanes (Mitrofan) of Lugansk and Alchevsk celebrated a service in the side altar of the Protection of Holy Theotokos at St. Paul's Cathedral of Lugansk. At the Divine Liturgy the hierarch concelebrated with the cathedral's clergy.
The previous night the archbishop headed the vigil service at the cathedral. At the polyeleos he anointed the faithful with consecrated oil from Relics of Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, brought from Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra during a pilgrimage visit to Moscow, reports the Lugansk Diocese's website.
During the Divine Liturgy at the Litany of the Fervent Supplication, special Petitions were read for peace and cessation of hostility in the Ukraine. At the Litany of the Departed prayers were offered up for those killed in the fratricidal war.
After the Liturgy Archbishop Metrophanes delivered a sermon, thanked everyone for the joint prayer, and gave his archpastor's blessing.
