His Beatitude Sviatoslav tells when to celebrate the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
Starting September 1, 2023, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine will switch to a new style for fixed holidays. As all fixed holidays are accelerated by two weeks, this year, one major holiday is the Beheading of John the Baptist. In the May issue of Live with His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Head of the Church told when to celebrate the feast day in those churches dedicated to this holiday.
First, given the calendar reform, he called on priests to help the faithful undergo a period of adaptation. “Every priest, every parish priest, has to help our faithful today to learn to live by the new style for the fixed holidays. Let us not be afraid to learn!” the Head of the Church urged.
Given that the usual calendar is shifted by 13 days, one major holiday will not be included this year: the Beheading of John the Baptist. According to the Julian calendar, it was celebrated on September 11, but according to the new style — on August 29.
“I know that we have many churches dedicated to this holiday,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav and suggested: “We recommend celebrating this holiday on the Sunday before or after September 11, that is, either on Sunday, September 10, or the following Sunday, September 17.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav called on the faithful to pray for their Orthodox brothers and sisters from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, who also intend to discuss the possibility of calendar reform in their Church.
The UGCC Department for Information
