The website of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Archeparchy of Lviv has some
nice pictures from the recent celebration of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist; June 24th on the Julian calendar currently occurs on July 7th of the Gregorian. (Here is the
same link passed through Google-Translate, for what good it may do.) These photographs were taken at a church which is served by the clergy of a lavra dedicated to the Holy Forerunner; it is a beautiful example of the wooden structures of the 18th-century, situated in the middle of park on the outskirts of Lviv itself. After the All-night Vigil, consisting of Vespers, Matins and
Artoklasia (the blessing and breaking of bread), two Divine Liturgies were celebrated, one very early in the morning, and a second one later on. The principal celebrant of the second Divine Liturgy was the Major Archbishop of Kiev-Halych, and head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic hierarchy, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, (elected and
enthroned earlier this year,) along with two other bishops; a pontifical celebration of this sort had never been held in the church before.
The Artoklasia, called Litia in Slavonic.
The church building was actually moved to its current location from a village called Kryvky in 1930.
Archbishop Shevchuk holding the dikirion and trikirion, which represent the two natures of Christ and the three persons of the Holy Trinity.
The Artoklasia, called Litia in Slavonic.
The church building was actually moved to its current location from a village called Kryvky in 1930.
Archbishop Shevchuk holding the dikirion and trikirion, which represent the two natures of Christ and the three persons of the Holy Trinity.
