The Churchwide Pilgrimage of the Icon with the Relics of St. Volodymyr the Great Begins in Kyiv
On September 14, 2025, on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, a memorable event took place at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv—the solemn beginning of the Churchwide pilgrimage of the icon with the relics of St. Volodymyr the Great, Equal to the Apostles.
The press service of the Kyiv Archeparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church reported on this.
This pilgrimage, which will last until the end of 2026, will encompass all the eparchies and exarchates of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The shrine has begun its journey to parishes so that every believer has the opportunity to pray before the relics of the holy prince and renew their allegiance to the legacy of Volodymyr’s baptism — the source of faith and spiritual identity for Ukrainians.
Ceremonies at the Patriarchal Cathedral
The first place of veneration of the shrine became the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv. Throughout the day, the faithful could approach the icon with the relics from 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM. Here, residents and guests of the capital had the opportunity to encounter the relic, which unites the past, present, and future of the Church.
A special moment at the beginning of the pilgrimage was the presentation of the documentary film “Saint Volodymyr the Great: The Return,” prepared by Zhyve TV.
The screenings took place in the Cathedral Hall (the shelter of the Patriarchal Cathedral) after Sunday Liturgies. The atmosphere of the joint viewing was not only informative but also prayerful, helping the faithful to feel more profoundly the greatness of the figure of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince and the significance of this relic for the present day.
Background
On January 23, 2025, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, received the relics of St. Volodymyr the Great from the hands of Bishop Oleksandr Drabynko, Metropolitan of Pereyaslav and Vyshneve of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The Head of the UGCC emphasized: “The relics of St. Volodymyr are a sacred treasure for us, a relic, because we are all children of the Church of Volodymyr’s baptism.”
Thus, September 14 became an important day for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, because it was in Kyiv that a great spiritual journey began, one that is intended to unite the entire community in prayer and a deeper understanding of the heritage of Christianity in Ukraine.
The UGCC Department for Information
