A nationwide pilgrimage to the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Zarvanytsia finished today with the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Head of the UGCC. This year Zarvanytsia hosted tens of thousands pilgrims from around Ukraine and from abroad. The pilgrimage to “Ukrainian Jerusalem” is dedicated to the 425th anniversary of the Union of Brest and a prayer for peace in Ukraine.
Among the participants were bishops from the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, bike pilgrims with a route Częstochowa – Zarvanytsia, groups of pilgrims from eparchies around Ukraine, a pilgrimage walk of some groups lasted for almost a week. Among the guests was the fifth president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko with his wife.
Commemorating the 425th anniversary of the Union of Brest which liquidated the separation between the Western and Eastern Christianity bears a special meaning for the UGCC, which rekindle memories of a single Church.
At the end of the Liturgy His Beatitude Sviatoslav awarded Mykola Kmit with the Order of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky for his active public and social position in regard of cherishing Christian values, active participation as a senator of Ukrainian Catholic University, whole-hearted service and support of many Church projects.