Ukrainiian Orthodoxy

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

Welcome, Readers and Surfers, of whatever persuasion!

This website intends to be a doorway into the treasury of Christian insights and achievements afforded by that Garden of the eternal Church of Christ, sown and nurtured, as we believe, by our Lord Himself which is called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Its title does not intend to imply any official connection with any Ukrainian Orthodox communion. Indeed it has been enriched by folks who love this Garden, who find themselves in various Ukrainian Orthodox - as well as Ukrainian Catholic communities. About Us. We welcome the feedback, input and comments, laudatory or critical as well as analytical - and especially inquisitive! - of our readers and friends across the globe.

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The Radiant Beauty of the Saints See alphabetical listing

The day that Christians who follow the Gregorian Calendar celebrate Christmas, December 25, corresponds to December 12 on the Julian Calendar, and it is a day for celebrating a remarkable Saint who was a friend of St. Nicholas, and whose memory is also closely linked with the time of giving gifts. It is St. Spyridon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Tremithus (sometimes roughly transliterated from the Greek as “Trimythous”).

ST. WENCESLAUS (VYACHESLAV), KNIAZ OF THE CZECHS On October 10, which is September 28 on the Julian Calendar, we celebrate a Saint who is particularly renowned because of the popular Christmas carol “Good King Wencesalus”.

On December 23 (which is December 10 according to the Julian Calendar) we commemorate the memory of another great Saint from Ukraine. It is St. Joasaph, Bishop of Belgorod (a city in western Russia, 40 kilometers from the border of Ukraine).

On December 6 on the Gregorian calendar (which is November 23 on the Julian), we celebrate the memory of our Holy Father among the Saints, Amphilochius of the Kyivan Caves, Bishop of Volyn’.

St. Paul the Confessor, Archbishop of Constantinople - November 19

On November 7 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is October 25 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of St. Tabitha (also known by her Greek name “Dorcas” which means “gazelle”), who is mentioned in the Book of Acts as one of the Disciples of Christ (9:36-42). There are several interesting points to be made about this wonderful lady whom we venerate today.

On November 2 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is October 20 on the Julian), we celebrate the memory of the Righteous Child, Artemius of Verkola, a boy whose earthly life ended on June 23 (July 6 on the Gregorian Calendar), 1545, when he was only twelve years of age. His memory is celebrated on this day (as well as on June 23/July 6, the day of his repose) since it is the Feast day of His heavenly Patron, the Holy Great Martyr Artemius of Antioch, martyred in 361 by the order of the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate.

Holy Knyahynia Juliana Ol'shans'ka

On October 2 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is September 19 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of the Holy Right-Believing Passion-Bearer Ihor, in Baptism George, Tonsured Gabriel, Knyaz’ of Chernihiv and Great Knyaz’ of Kyiv. [We also celebrate the Feast of the Translation of his Relics on June 18 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is June 5 on the Julian)].

On September 10 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is August 28 on the Julian) we celebrate the life of a remarkable Saint: Moses the Black, also known as Moses the Ethiopian.

The word "missionary", at times, has a negative connotation as the "mission" of the zealous folks who journey to other lands has not infrequently been cultural assimilation and even eventual political domination by the authorities sending the missionary (sincere and selfless though the missionariesmay have undoubtedly been). Such is, however, not usually the case with Orthodox missionaries. It was not the case, as we shall see, with St. Nicholas (Kasatkin), Enlightener of Japan, commemorated on the Church Calendar on August 14 Gregorian style (which is August 1, Julian), on the anniversary of his birth.

One of the most important ways to imitate the Saints – and among them St. Volodymyr – is that of turning away from the vain pursuits of a fallen world, towards the kindness, mercy and truth of the eternal Kingdom of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Knyahynia of Kyiv Ol’ha, in Baptism Helen - July 24

On July 9 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is June 26 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a Man of God who is remembered for saying something quite different. It is Saint John, Bishop of the Goths, who laboured in the Lord’s Vineyard in the eighth century at a time when the Eastern Church was assailed by the controversy over Icons.

St. Anthony the Great of Egypt, the Patron Saint of the founder of Ukrainian monasticism, St. Anthony of the Kyivan Caves, once said: “Our life and our death are with our neighbour. If we gain our brother, we have gained God, but if we cause our brother to stumble, we have sinned against Christ.” On June 30 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is June 17 on the Julian) we commemorate one of Abba Anthony’s disciples, St. Pior, who is remembered chiefly for a teaching of his about the way we ought to relate to our brothers and sisters.

On May 27 according to the Modified Julian Calendar Orthodox Greeks celebrate the memory of a Saint from Ukraine whom they call “St. John the Russian”. (This Calendar coincides with the Gregorian – most Greeks celebrate immovable Feastdays according to it, while Ukrainians and most other Slavs celebrate them according to the Julian Calendar, so for us this Feastday falls on June 6 according to the Gregorian calendar).

St. John the New Martyr of Suchava

The Righteous of Other Folds

We are introducing to our site, a companion to THE RADIANT BEAUTY OF THE SAINTS. In that rubric, we have pondered, with gratitude and praise, the lives of holy men, women and children, glorified by God, who, during their earthly sojourn, were communicants of the Orthodox Church – which we, Orthodox, of course, see as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. In this rubric, THE RIGHTEOUS OF OTHER FOLDS, we shall ponder, again with gratitude and praise, the lives of people who, during their earthly sojourn, were participants in what may be called "other folds", in keeping with our Lord's words: "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd" (John 10:16). We shall do so from the point of view of those who love and are nurtured by that marvelous Garden of the Lord's called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
For our first offerings please see:

Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, Layman and Martyr

Fr. Damien of Molokai

Master Jan Hus, Priest and Martyr

The Glorious Beauty of the Liturgical Calendar
See full listing

The Nativity of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ
Today we celebrate the great Feast of the Nativity upon the earth of the Son of God, our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. He was born in this world to be with us, to elevate us to the dignity of the children of God.

Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Let's Cultivate Our Garden. - December 25

On December 22 (corresponds to December 9 according to the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the Feast of the Conception by the Righteous Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos. It comes 9 months, less a day, before the Feast of her Nativity (September 8/21).

On the fourth Saturday of November Ukrainians throughout the world remember the millions of people who died in what has been called the greatest crime the world has ever known, the Holodomor of 1932-33 in the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: Family to God and Each Other! - November 27 In today's Epistle (Ephesians 2:14-22) we hear Paul tell his readers, the Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians of Ephesus, the joyous news that God had included them in His eternal family, which He loves and for which He has made the greatest of sacrifices. Meditating upon this mysterious inclusion can lead us into wonder, hope, faith, peace and joy!

On November 16 (corresponds to November 3 on the Julian Calendar) on the Julian Calendar the Orthodox celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Church of St. George in Lydda during the reign of St. Constantine the Great (306 to 337).

St. George is one of the most highly and universally revered Saints in the Christian Church.

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost: The Power of Suffering! November 13

In these times of economic turmoil and testing we would do well to heed the words of our Lord in the Gospel on the Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (Mark 8:34-9:1): “[W]hat will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (New King James Version).

Icons of the Mother of God See full listing

The Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God - October 25

On October 7 (September 24 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate another Icon of the many Icons of the Mother of God, the Myrozh Icon.

The Svena-Caves Icon of the Mother of God - August 30

As though to make sure that we note the significance of the wonderful Icon of the Troyeruchytsia (“Three-handed”) Mother of God, it is celebrated in the Church Calendar twice within two weeks (July 11 Gregorian/June 28 Julian and July 25 Gregorian/July 12 Julian)!

Answers to Visitors' Questions