The Ukrainian Orthodox Monastery of the Nativity of St John the Baptist in Ruscova-Oblaz, Maramureș County, celebrated its patronal feast on Monday according to the unrevised (Julian) calendar.
The Divine Liturgy was celebrated by a group of 14 priests from the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate in Romania, led by Fr Marius Lauruc, the vicar.
The sermon was delivered in Romanian by Fr Ioan Iurcea, diocesan counsellor, while Fr Marius Lauruc preached in Ukrainian.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, clergy and faithful participated in a procession around the monastery church, accompanied by young people in traditional Ukrainian folk costumes.
The monastery’s abbot, Fr Gurie Bocicorec, thanked the faithful for taking part in the celebration and invited them to a festive agape meal, in keeping with local tradition.
Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate in Romania
The Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate is a territorial administrative unit under the canonical jurisdiction of the Romanian Patriarchate, serving Orthodox faithful of Ukrainian ethnicity living in Romania. Its parishes celebrate services in the Ukrainian language, officiated by Ukrainian or Ukrainian-speaking clergy.
The Vicariate is headquartered in Sighetu Marmației, Maramureș County, and serves approximately 30,000 ethnic Ukrainians living in northern Romania, including the regions of Maramureș, Transylvania, Crișana and Banat.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate was re-established after the fall of communism by Decision No. 1432 of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church on 12 February 1990.
Photo: Facebook / Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate
