His Holiness Patriarch of Kyiv and All Ukraine to make official visit to the United States

Sept. 11, 2013 - PRLog -- UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH TO VISIT U.S.

(Bloomingdale, IL) Sept 11, 2013,   On Friday, November 8, 2013 the leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church- Kyivan Patriarchate, His Holiness Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv and All Ukraine will arrive for a two week visit to the United States of America.

Patriarch Filaret is the leader of the third largest group of Orthodox faithful in the world with over 15 million believers.  The Patriarch’s visit will begin with his arrival at JFK International Airport in New York. His Holiness will make archpastoral visits to parishes in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on November 9 and 10.  On Monday  Nov 11, His Holiness the Patriarch of Kyiv and All Ukraine will fly to Washington D.C for official meetings with congressional leaders, senate members and State Dept. officials.  He will arrive on Thursday Nov. 14 at Chicago’s  O’Hare International airport  where he will be greeted by official members of Ukraine’s Consulate in Chicago.  He will be spending the following five days in Bloomingdale, Illinois at St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, the center for The Kyiv Patriarchate in The Unites States of America.

The Patriarch’s visit comes at a crucial point in the life of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.  A recent visit of the Russian Patriarch Kiril of Moscow to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv has energized Ukrainians world-wide in their fight for recognition of the Kyivan Patriarchate by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.  The Patriarch of Moscow continues to try and exert his political influence in Ukraine and has commented that he does not recognize the sovereignty of Ukraine and its independent Orthodox Church.  Patriarch Filaret enjoyed fair treatment and exponential growth along with Ukraine’s democratic government under President Yushchenko.  With the election of the Moscow-leaning president in Ukraine Mr. Yanukovich recently, the Patriarch and his church are being neglected and several acts of violence have occurred between pro-Moscow and pro-Kyiv laity.  Ukrainians have called upon the Ecumenical Patriarch to recognize the Kyivan Patriarchate  as the Autocephalous church of Ukraine as Orthodox Canon Law gives independent nations the right to an independent Orthodox church with its own Patriarch.

In addition His Holiness is concerned and will speak on topics including: the Orthodox Christians in Syria, same sex marriage, religious tolerance and basic human freedoms violations.

The Patriarch will preside over Ecumenical services at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral saturday, November 16 at 1:00 p.m. for the 80th anniversary memorial services for the over 10 million Ukrainians  starved  by the Soviet regime in Stalin’s forced genocide famine of 1932-33.

His Holiness Patriarch Filaret will also participate in the official celebrations surrounding the 1025th Anniversary of The Baptism Of Ukraine into the Christian faith in the year 988.  A concert featuring the Canadian Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus  will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the church auditorium at St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral.

On Sunday November 16 at 9:00 am, His Holiness Filaret The Patriarch of Kyiv and All Ukraine will preside over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Bloomingdale, IL.   A Banquet in his honor at St. Andrew Ukrainian Cultural Center, Bloomingdale, IL will be held at 1:30 pm.  On Monday His Holiness will preside over The Clergy Conference of The Kyivan Patriarchate with visiting clergy from across the US and Canada.

For More Information and Opportunities to Interview the Patriarch

Contact:  John Jaresko (630) 202-5331 or jjaresko@aol.com