Way of the Cross in Lviv gathered 50.000 participants

On April 3, Lviv hosted the traditional Way of the Cross, held by Lviv Archdiocese of UGCC. The pilgrimage began at the church of St. Michael the Archangel, moved along the main streets of the city and ended at St. George Cathedral. A record number of people took part- according to the organizers, more than 50 thousand faithful.

The procession was led by hierarchs of Lviv archdiocese - Metropolitan Ihor (Voznyak), Bishop Venedykt (Aleksiychuk) and nominated bishop Fr. Volodymyr Hrutsa. The motive of this year's Way of the Cross was the biography of Blessed Martyr Bishop Vasyl Velychkovsky, long-term prisoner of the Soviet GULAG.

The participants carried his relics, the icon of the martyr and two crosses - a traditional large cross and a small birch one.

The latter was alternately carried by representatives of ‘Oselya’ community, relatives of ATO soldiers, a military chaplain, poet and dissident Ihor Kalynets and modern political prisoner Yuri Yatsenko, who spent a year in a Russian jail on trumped-up charges.

During this pilgrimage the birch cross was carried by Roman Kislyak -  a Protestant by faith and IDP Donbas with cerebral palsy. He became known in Lviv and all Ukraine after the unfortunate history when the waiter of a restaurant refused to serve him and drove him out. After this incident the actions for people with disabilities were held all over Ukraine.

The procession lasted four hours. The organizers read out passages from the Gospel, remembered the way of life of the Blessed Vasyl Velychkovskyy, prayed for ATO soldiers who are now at the forefront, for those who died, the volunteers, doctors, the church and the state leadership.

Campaign ended at the monument to the Righteous Andrey Sheptytsky common prayer and blessing.