Покрова – Ukraine’s historic patron of armed services personnel, spreads Her mantle over all people as a protection.  ‘We prayer: cover us with you Holy Mantle and deliver us from evil.”

This icon commemorates the Ukrainian Canadian servicemen and service women, who served and sacrificed for Canada during the Second World War – true ‘Heroes of Their Day.’

Kyiv-based iconographer, Oleksandr Klymenko, has written this icon on an ammunition box, the contents of which were used to defend Ukraine during Russia’s war of aggression in 2022.

The icon was blessed on October 14, the Feast of Pokrova.  The icon will be housed at the Cathedral, but upon request it may travel to our sister parishes for veneration.

Thank you to His Eminence Metropolitan Yurij for leading the singing and Fr. Taras Udod for participating in the blessing service.

May the Mother of God continually protect all the Godloving faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and espcially, at this time, the armed forces in Ukraine defending against Russia's war of aggression.