St. Alexander Nevsky's stauropegial Convent

St. Alexander Nevsky's stauropegial Convent stands in the village of Horodne in Volyn. The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church opened the house on 20 December 2012, by journal No. 104 of its session, on the basis of the parish in honour of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke in that same village¹.

One of the convent's churches is consecrated in honour of Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow, who died in 1326 and was a native of the neighbouring village of Ratne². In May 2016 the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church visited the convent: he was met at the gates by the sisters and by the pupils of the Sunday school that works at the house, and the Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the monastery square².

Metropolitan Varfolomiy of Rivne and Ostroh came from this same village. In the words of Bishop Pymen of Dubno, spoken at his grave, he had done much for Horodne: he built the monastery here and secured the building of the road to it³. Metropolitan Varfolomiy died on 15 September 2021 after a grave illness and, by his own will, was buried in his native village³.

On 22 September 2021 a Liturgy for the departed and a panikhida were served at the convent on the ninth day³, and on 21 October, on the eve of the fortieth, a memorial service was held in the monastery yard⁴. On 14 September 2023, the second anniversary, the Liturgy at the convent was led by Archbishop Pymen of Rivne and Ostroh; the late metropolitan's spiritual children, fellow villagers, friends and relatives came to pray, and when the service ended all visited his grave⁵.