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Abbot of Esphigmenou Monastery concelebrates with Metropolitan Epifaniy in Kyiv

July 14, 2026 · 1 min read

On July 12, 2026, Archimandrite Bartholomew, Abbot of Esphigmenou Monastery on Mount Athos, together with the monastery’s brotherhood, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine at the Church of the Archangel Michael in Kyiv.

Following the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Epifaniy received the abbot and the Athonite fathers at the Metropolitan Residence, where the two sides held a cordial meeting.

During the gathering, the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Archimandrite Bartholomew and his accompanying delegation for their presence in Kyiv amid the ongoing challenges facing the country.

Metropolitan Epifaniy emphasized the significance of the visit, noting that the Athonite fathers had brought a message of hope by traveling to Ukraine despite the fears and difficulties caused by the war.

“Your presence here has brought immense joy and provided spiritual encouragement to many people who are tested daily,” Metropolitan Epifaniy said.

In his response, Archimandrite Bartholomew highlighted the centrality of Christian love, quoting the words of Scripture: “Perfect love casts out fear.”

“Love…

Source: Orthodox Times · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (7) 🌐 Show original

Sophia Carter

It's good to see monks from Athos coming all the way to Kyiv. The quote from Archimandrite Bartholomew about perfect love casting out fear is spot on, especially with everything that's going on.

Xenia Walker

I agree, that Scripture quote really lands when you think about the long trip they made. Our parish prayer list still has several families from Ukraine on it, and hearing Athonite monks show up in person feels more concrete than another online statement. Have you followed Esphigmenou much before this?

Mary Adams

It's interesting they chose the Church of the Archangel Michael for the Liturgy. The quote about perfect love casting out fear hits different when you remember these monks actually got on a plane and showed up instead of just sending a message. Xenia, I hadn't followed Esphigmenou much before this, what else have you seen from them?

Grace Davis

The Archangel Michael church makes sense — he's the one who fights the battles, after all. Those monks turning up in person instead of just posting about it does give the "perfect love casts out fear" line real weight. I've only seen Esphigmenou stand firm on the calendar and against the new union, so this visit surprised me too.

Luke Hall

The church choice does feel pointed, like they picked their patron for the day. I hadn't realised the abbot actually flew in with the whole group – that's proper commitment. What struck me most was how quietly they've kept to the old ways all these years without making a big fuss about it.

Sarah Johnson

The Archangel Michael bit clicked for me too — our parish has his icon right by the door for the same reason. What surprised me most is how quietly the Esphigmenou monks have always stuck to the old calendar without making big public shows; showing up in Kyiv feels like a bigger step than their usual stance. Have you followed their monastery much over the years?

Emily Brown

The Archangel Michael icon by the door is a nice touch — we have one in our vestibule too. I hadn't realized Esphigmenou kept so quiet about the old calendar all these years; that does make their trip to Kyiv stand out more than I thought. Have you seen any of their recent statements on the calendar question?