Celebration of 1022nd Anniversary of Baptism of Kyivan Rus Held in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore

On July 25, 2010, in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Bishop Iryney (Bilyk), the canonic of this basilica, for the occasion of the 1022^nd anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the Ukrainian rite and conducted the ceremony of renewing baptismal vows. The tradition to renew baptismal vows during the celebrations of Volodymyr’s Baptism began after the Patriarchal Synod of Bishops of UGCC in 2006. Bishop Iryney greeted all participants and underlined that “our personal baptism…gives us the strength of God and the possibility to stand against different storms and gales in our present challenges, here and in Ukraine.” At the completion of Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, the bishop said his benediction and blessed all with holy water. This time families from Mexico and China prayed together with the Greek Catholics. 

canonic.org.ua/component/content/article/1/233-vshanuvannja-1022-oji-richnyci-hreshchennja-kyjivskoji-rusy-ukrajiny-v-papskij-bazylici-santa-marija-madzhore.html