Ukraine Day 3

Today we began early at the Kyiv Academy  & Seminary. Morning prayers were outside because of the nice weather. A few pictures of the morning prayers can be found here:

After the prayers Archbishop Peter and I had breakfast with the students gathered for their exams. His Eminence then met with a different group of students than he had the day previous for about an hour.

We then met with a friend of Archbishop Peter's from his time in the Holy Land as the Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission who just happened to be in Kiev today.

Next we were off for an excursion to several of the important monasteries in Kiev. We visited the St. Jonah Monastery (which is right next to the botanical gardens - the gardens had been part of the monastery too before the Communist Revolution), the Zverinetsky Caves Monastery, and the Florovsky-Voznesensky (St. Florus/Exaltation of the Cross) Convent. Pictures from those visits can be found here:

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, we had dinner with the students of the Academy and Seminary.

Tomorrow is the last day in Kiev. Flights on Saturday are at 6:00 a.m., so we will leave the monastery at 3:00 a.m. That is 8:00 p.m. Michigan time on Friday, so if I seem a little tired at Vigil on Saturday night it is because I will have been awake from at least 8:00 p.m. on Friday by the time you seem me at Vigil. :)

Please pray for us as we travel!

Fr. Gregory