Glorification of Theodosius of Balta

(orthodox.org.ua) On October 20, during the metropolitan's journey the Diocese of Odesa, the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church visited the city of Balta, where he celebrated the Divine Liturgy and the rite of glorification among the saints of the Righteous Theodosius of Balta († March 9, 1845).

Concelebrating to His Beatitude were: Metropolitan Agathangel of Odesa and Izmayil, Archbishop Ionafan of Tulchin and Bratslav, Archbishop Varfolomiy of Rivne and Ostroh, Archbishop Ioann of Kherson and Tavria, Schema-Bishop Alipiy, Bishop Petru of Hâncu, Vicar of the Metropolis of Chisinau, Bishop Alexy of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi (Vicar of the Diocese of Odesa), Bishop Alexander of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi (Secretary for the Primate of the UOC), the diocesan clergy.

After the Lesser Entrance at the Divine Liturgy the last memorial office (Litia) was said for the reposed righteous man.

Then His Eminence Metropolitan Agathangel announced the decision of the Holy Synod of the UOC of April 18, 2008 (Journal №29) on glorification among the saints of the Righteous Theodosius of Balta.

Archbishop Ionafan read out the life of this ascetic of piety, following which His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr gave a kiss of veneration to the reliquary with the honourable relics of the Righteous Theodosius of Balta, to the chanting of troparion and songs of praise to the new-ly glorified saint. The same did the hierarchs, clergy and laymen present at the church.

As a keepsake of the memorable event the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was gifted with the Icon of the God-pleaser with a piece of his relics.