On September 1, 2023, on the feast day of the Council of Vinnytsia Saints, the Church New Year, and the day of memory of St. Symeon the Pillar, a solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Transfiguration Cathedral of Vinnytsia. The service was led by Metropolitan Symeon of Vinnytsia and Bar. The Archpastor was concelebrated by Metropolitan Roman of Vinnytsia and Bratslav, Metropolitan Oleksandr of Pereiaslav and Vyshneve, Metropolitan Hilarion of Rivne and Ostroh, and Archbishop Mykhailo of Vinnytsia and Tulchyn, Archbishop Volodymyr of Zhytomyr and Polissya, Archbishop Tikhon of Ternopil and Buchach, Bishop Paisiy of Zhytomyr and Ovruch, Bishop Anthony of Chernihiv and Nizhyn, as well as clergy of the Vinnytsia-Bar Diocese and guests in the holy orders.
During the Liturgy, a prayer was offered for the victory of the Ukrainian army. Also, on the occasion of Metropolitan Symeon's name day, special prayers for the Archpastor were read.
After the service, a prayer service was held to all the saints of the Vinnytsia region and St. Symeon Stovpnyk.
Metropolitan Roman of Vinnytsia and Bratslav addressed the Metropolitan Symeon with a greeting on behalf of the hierarchs who participated in the Liturgy. The priests and parishioners of the cathedral, as well as the abbess of the Vinnytsia Convent of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Abbess Yelikonida (Voevoda), congratulated their Archpastor.
Metropolitan Symeon was greeted with warm words and singing by the Hierarchical Choir led by Regent Oleksandr Kholyava.
Metropolitan Symeon thanked the hierarchs and clergy for their greetings, who shared with him the prayerful joy of celebrating and serving the Divine Liturgy on this festive day. Metropolitan Symeon also expressed his gratitude to the parishioners and representatives of local authorities, military personnel, doctors, teachers and all those many people who congratulated him on his name day and the day before. The Archpastor wished everyone God's blessing, the intercession of the Mother of God and help from the saints of Vinnytsia and St. Symeon the Pillar whose memory was first celebrated by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine on September 1 this year according to the New Julian calendar.
Press service of the Vinnytsia-Bar Diocese of the UOC (OCU)
