Statue consecrated by Pope Francis installed in St. Nicholas Church in Kyiv
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations between the Apostolic See and the States (Vatican foreign minister), took part in the consecration. This is reported by the parish of the Church of St. Nicholas in Kyiv on Facebook.
"St Michael the Archangel has been the patron saint of Kyiv since the XVI century, and at the same time the patron saint of all of Ukraine. May this powerful Archangel intercede for our parish, for each of us, and beg us to pray in this shrine without hindrance. May he protect our country, all its inhabitants, and help us overcome enemies, both visible and invisible," the parish rector, Father Pavlo Vyshkovsky, said during the service.
As RISU previously reported, the Church of St. Nicholas will be restored after the fire that occurred on September 3 due to a short circuit in the organ. On April 25, Pope Francis consecrated the statue of St Michael the Archangel from Gargano for this church.
According to tradition, it was there in the fifth century that St Michael the Archangel appeared in a cave and led the inhabitants of this region to victory in the battle with the pagans. Then he said these words: "I am St Michael the Archangel, the one who always stands before God's face. This grotto is dedicated to me; I guard it. Where the rock opens, the sins of people will be forgiven. The prayers that you will offer to God here will be heard," the bishop of the diocese where Gargano is located heard.
St Michael the Archangel and the Holy Grotto on the Gargano peninsula still attract thousands of pilgrims who come from everywhere to get to the place that one of the Archangels personally visited. Gargano was visited by many saints, Popes, emperors, princes and Kings, in particular the Roman Caesar Otto III, St. Francis of Assisi, St. John Paul II.
The white statue installed in the Church of St. Nicholas in Kyiv is the same size as the original one created by Andrea Sansovino in 1507. It represents St Michael the Archangel, who tramples Satan with his left foot while raising his sword with his right hand, and completely controls the movements of the lord of hell, not allowing him to lift his head, solely with the little finger of his left hand and using one link in the chain. The one who "always stands before God's face" holds Satan with his one little finger.
The parish of St. Nicholas in Kyiv and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy have agreed that the temple will be transferred to the Roman Catholic community in June 2022.
