Our Patron Saint
Saint Volodymyr the Great, the baptizer of Rus′, under whose patronage our Brotherhood stands.
At a glance
- Grand Prince of Kyiv (c. 958–1015)
- Baptized Rus′ in the year 988
- Feast day — July 28
- Equal-to-the-Apostles
The prince who led a people to Christ
Saint Volodymyr the Great, Grand Prince of Kyiv, changed the destiny of his people forever. In the year 988 he received holy baptism and led Rus′-Ukraine into the Christian faith, uniting it with the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Christian East.
Before his conversion, Volodymyr was a powerful and warlike ruler. Yet upon meeting Christ he was transformed: he gave alms to the poor, built churches and schools, and cared for justice and mercy throughout his realm. The Church honours him as Equal-to-the-Apostles.
For the Ukrainian Catholic Brotherhood, Saint Volodymyr is the model of a layman who places faith at the foundation of public life. Under his heavenly patronage the Brotherhood has carried the light of faith on Canadian soil for more than nine decades.