Pilgrimage to Univ Monastery: Prayer for Ukraine
This year, a walking pilgrimage to the Univ Monastery of the Holy Assumption of UGCC was conducted under the motto "Prayer for Ukraine: Holy Mother of God, Save Us!". On August 27, 1,486 believers from practically all regions of Ukraine came to Univ. School children and students made up two thirds of the pilgrims. Guests from Belarus and Russia (Moscow) also prayed for Ukraine.
"The 25th of August is the day with which the 20th anniversary of independence of Ukraine begins. It is a good time to sum up what we have achieved and what we should review in our spiritual life in order for us to become good Christians on our own land, as land is associated not just with soil, but, primarily, culture, traditions, art, etc. We have dedicated our prayers to the protection of the Mother of God and asked her for grace and intercession for our people," noted Father Yustyn Boiko, the organizer of the pilgrimage.
According to the tradition, the pilgrimage began with the Liturgy in the Church of St. Archistratig Michael. Then, the pilgrims went to the Church of the Annunciation in Lviv and then to Sosnivka, Sholomyia, and Zvenyhorod. On the next day, the pilgrims walked to the villages of Romaniv, Pidyarkiv, Stanymyr, where they prayed in the unique churches of St. Archistratig Michael, St. Borys and Hlib, and the Epiphany. On August 27, the pilgrims visited the village of Lahodiv and then Univ. Prayer services were served in each of the visited churches. Sermons were said by some priests such as a professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), Fr. Mykhailo Dymyd, Rector of the Lviv Spiritual Seminary of the Holy Spirit of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) Fr. Mykolai Fredyna, Bishop-Nominant Venedykt Aleksiichuk of Lviv of UGCC, Rector of UCU Fr. Borys Gudziak, etc.
In addition to singing songs, joint and private prayer, quiet time, the pilgrims also had time for Bible reading during stops. The pilgrims were also offered to meditate on the address of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky to the Ukrainian youth of 1932, which is relevant even today. "My dear ones, the service of love does not reap its laurels until the offering is full, and the sacrifice of one minute will not replace many years of ant's work. A nation makes progress not by impulses of one moment but by relentless effort and sacrifices even to the death and blood of many generations. And sometimes it may be easier to shed one's blood in a minute of enthusiasm than to fulfill one's duties and endure the heat of the day and the sun and the anger of people and hatred of enemies and lack of trust of one's own and lack of help from one's family, and, in such work, to fulfill one's task to the end without expecting the laurels for the victory or reward for the merits!" wrote the metropolitan.
On August 27, according to tradition, the pilgrims were met with flowers in Univ and then spent a night of repentance and prayer. The vigil began with the Great Vespers with a Lithia, which was followed by a procession carrying the Shroud of the Holy Mother of God around the monastery and a candle procession to the Chernecha Mount and memorial service for the deceased fathers and brethren. One could also see in the monastery a wonder-working icon of the Mother of God and a copy of the Turin Shroud, which was exhibited and consecrated in 2008.
Nataliya Yurakh
