“God Transformed the Waters of the Dnipro River into the Waters of Our People’s Rebirth,” Said the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
On July 15, public celebrations were held in Kyiv on St. Michael’s Square, to mark Ukrainian Statehood Day and to honor the memory of St. Volodymyr, Equal to the Apostles, Prince of Rus’-Ukraine.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, took part in the events. During the joint prayer led by members of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, the Primate of the UGCC was the first among the religious leaders to offer the following prayer:
Almighty God, on this day You have bestowed upon us the grace of Baptism. By the power of Your heavenly love, You have transformed the waters of the Dnipro into a fountain of rebirth for our people through water and the Spirit. Here we were baptized in Your name—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Here, in these waters, our people and our nation were born. Saint Volodymyr, Equal to the Apostles, we glorify You today, our enlightener. Through Your prayers, intercede before the Lord to grant peace and victory to Ukraine. Amen.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the special envoy of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, who is currently paying a several-day visit to Ukraine, also took part in the joint prayer. Cardinal Zuppi recited his prayer in Ukrainian.
Ukrainian Statehood Day, celebrated on the feast day of St. Volodymyr the Equal-to-the-Apostles, commemorates the millennia-old tradition of Ukrainian statehood, which is inextricably linked to the Baptism of Kyivan Rus’. The adoption of Christianity became the spiritual foundation for the development of the Ukrainian people, their culture, law, and statehood.
The UGCC Department for Information
