UOC faithful hold prayer vigil outside Lavra for more than 1,000 days
More than 1,000 days have passed since the prayer vigil began outside the walls of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church continue to pray without interruption to the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos for peace, justice, and the preservation of her holy Kyiv inheritance.
Every day, Orthodox Christians come to the monastery to stand in its defense.
“We are still here, continuing to pray to the Lord for the Lavra, for peace, and for justice,” participants in the vigil said. “The Lavra’s prayerful defenders have been here for more than 1,000 days, because the Mother of God must know that we will not abandon her holy Kyiv inheritance.”
For three and a half years, UOC faithful have continued coming to the holy monastery despite summer heat, bitter cold, heavy rain, frequent air-raid sirens, and provocations by radicals. Through every hardship of weather and circumstance, Orthodox Christians have maintained their prayer vigil outside the ancient monastery.
The faithful say their choice is rooted in a deep spiritual need to protect the UOC shrine from desecration and abuse. They seek to prevent mockery of the sacred site, stop the monks from being expelled, and preserve the Lavra for future generations.
As previously reported by the UOJ, a priest explained why believers continue coming to the prayer vigil outside the Lavra.
