MEMORY ETERNAL

Dear Brothers in Christ, family of the Lord’s Exarchal Metropolis, and people of God united in the mystical body of his presence – the Church,

Blessed are those who fall asleep in the Lord and awaken in the glory of his Communion of Saints!

The health of the Patriarch PHILARET (Denysenko) of Kyiv (Consecrated bishop in Moscow 1962AD Elected and installed Patriarch: 1995AD in Kyiv – serving the Church of Ukraine) rapidly declined due to exacerbation of chronic (respiratory) diseases. 

Thus, on this 21^st day in commemoration of the Kursk Znamenie (Great Sign) icon of the Mother of God xiiiAD (found by a hunter years after Tarar invasions – causing water to spring up from the earth) in this month of March and 2026^th Year of our Lord, Jesus Christ our God called our Father Patriarch Philaret home!     

Patriarch Philaret was an advocate for the Ukrainian people in communist times. His Missionary efforts in leading the Church of Ukraine through times of upheaval was well noted and much appreciated by the people. Although his mission came to a close on earth, yet his mission continues via his intercessions for the great work of our Church.

The greatest gift we can give to another human person is the gift of presence – the gift of our time. It is a wholehearted act of kindness when we pray for others, especially for those who have no one to consider them via prayer.

May I invite you to pray for the soul of Patriarch Philaret of Kyiv – may his memory be eternal!

In Christ and his apostles who witnessed Divine Love amongst us.

+Raffaele

Vice President of the Holy Synod

Metropolitan Archbishop and Exarch.