What Is “Khramove Svyato?”
The greeting of the bishop at the back of the church.
Maybe you knew this, maybe you did not. Khramove svyato (храмове свято) means “feast day of the temple,” sometimes known as a patronal feast day.
Why Is This Feast Day Different Than Others?
The saints of the church, who are alive in Christ, are not only models whose lives and devotion to God we should strive to emulate, but also are intercessors to God. And as such, individuals and parish communities are called upon to take a patron saint, in the tradition of the Holy Orthodox Church (many individuals will even celebrate their namesake day as well, just as if it were a birthday).
Early churches were built at the site of the graves of many of the Holy Martyrs. These communities were dedicated with the name of the martyr, and he or she was called upon by the community who worshiped there to act as an intercessor and protector for the faithful. Churches today place relics of the saints inside the Altar table as well as in places for veneration in the church in remembrance of these holy men and women in our lives.
As such, on the feast day of the respective patron saint (or feast day), we make an extra special celebration, just as we would for our birthdays.
Visiting clergy.
The Traditions in Canada
An additional aspect of the patronal celebration is the presence of the local bishop at the liturgical celebrations (for some small communities, this is sometimes the only time a year that they receive a visitation from the Bishop), which often includes a special greeting at the back of the church with flowers, children, parish council members, bread, salt and more. The bishop usually proceeds to the front of the church where he is vested while the choir sings specific music about the dignity of his position. It is at this point that the liturgy begins. It is even common for other priests to come visit and co-celebrate the liturgy as well as faifthful from other parishes.
Greeting the bishop with flowers.
The liturgy is often followed by a special banquet with performances for the parish and greetings from other parishes.
Why Does Our Parish Have Two ‘Khramove Svyatos?’
Our parish is in a unique position to have two locations with two different temples, each dedicated to a different saint — St. Volodymyr the Great (July 15 - which used to be July 28) and All Saints of Ukraine (always the second Sunday after Pentecost. As Pentecost depends on Pascha, the feast date changes every year). As such, while our parish is essentially one parish - united as St. Volodymyr Cathedral of Toronto - we also technically have two feast dates that must be acknowledged and celebrated liturgically, at least.