On January 2, the Primate of the UOC-MP Onufriy consecrated Archimandrite Oleksiy (Ovsyannikov), a cleric of the Diocese of Zhytomyr, as bishop of Dzhankoy and Razdolnensky, administrator of the Diocese of Dzhankoy.
This is reported by the Information and Educational Department of the UOC-MP.
Before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, during which the episcopal consecration took place, a special rite was performed. Archimandrite Oleksiy confessed his faith and vowed to preserve the traditions of the Church.
The Primate of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine was concelebrated by the Vicar of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl, Metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovarsky, Metropolitan Nikodim of Zhytomyr and Novograd-Volyn, Archbishop Guriy (Kuzmenko), Bishop Viktor of Baryshev, Bishop Sylvester of Bilogorod, Bishop Laurus of Irpen and Bishop Mark of Borodyany, Bishop Kirill of Byshev, Bishop Oleksy of Dzhankoy and Razdolnensk, the clergy of the monastery and guests in holy ranks.
At the end of the service, the Primate of the UOC-MP addressed Bishop Oleksiy of Dzhankoy and Razdolnensk and handed him the bishop's crosier. In compliance with the tradition, the bishop bestowed on the faithful his first archpastoral blessing.