St. Vladimir’s Cathedral has joined the OCU and changed its liturgical calendar: the date of the first service
21 April 13:50
St. Vladimir’s Patriarchal Cathedral, which had long adhered to the Old Style calendar, is officially switching to the New Julian calendar. This decision was made following the death of Patriarch Filaret and with the blessing of the Primate of the OCU, Epiphanius. This was reported by the cathedral’s press service , according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
“We inform all our parishioners that, by decision of the rector and the Cathedral Parish Council, with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, divine services at the cathedral will switch to the New Julian church calendar, which is followed by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,” the statement reads.
Thus, divine services at the cathedral will follow the calendar currently used by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. For parishioners, this means a change in the familiar church rhythm and a transition to a new style of celebrating commemorative dates and the liturgical cycle.
When the cathedral switches to the New Julian calendar
The statement notes that the transition will begin with a service in memory of the holy martyr Macarius, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus’.
The first services according to the New Julian calendar will take place:
- April 30 — All-Night Vigil;
- May 1 — Divine Liturgy.
From this moment on, all subsequent services at St. Vladimir’s Patriarchal Cathedral will be conducted according to the New Julian calendar.
What does this transition mean?
The transition to the New Julian calendar means that the cathedral is aligning its liturgical life with the calendar practices of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. This applies to feast days, the commemoration of saints, and the general liturgical cycle.
For parishioners, this is an important event, as it is not merely a technical change of the calendar, but a realignment of church life in accordance with the decisions and traditions of the OCU.
Who made the decision
As stated in the announcement, the decision was made by:
- the cathedral’s rector;
- the Parish Council;
- with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine.
This underscores that the transition is taking place officially, within the framework of church order, and with the approval of the leadership of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Why this is important for parishioners
For the cathedral’s faithful, the news means that from now on, all services, church holidays, and commemorative days will be observed according to the New Julian calendar. Therefore, parishioners should closely follow the new schedule of services and the dates of church events.
This transition will help avoid confusion and will finally establish in the life of the community the calendar style already used by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
