“In Zarvanytsia, the sky is open—just like the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the prayers of each of us.” — His Beatitude Sviatoslav
Today, at the Marian Spiritual Center in Zarvanytsia, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, presided over a Moleben to the Mother of God as part of the 30th All-Ukrainian Pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Bishop Stefan Zekorn of the Diocese of Münster (Germany) prayed together with the Primate.
Addressing the pilgrims after the Moleben, His Beatitude Sviatoslav said:
“In Zarvanytsia, the sky is open, like the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the prayers of each of us.”
The Head of the Church emphasized that once a year, “the face of our martyred Church is illuminated by prayer, when tens of thousands of people, holding Marian candles in their hands, shine with prayer.”
“The Church of Christ, like a bride, comes to her Bridegroom. With all her dreams, petitions, and anxieties, our Church comes to our Mother, the Mother of God, in prayer… Today we come above all with a prayer of gratitude,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The Primate expressed gratitude to the Exarch of Donetsk, Bishop Maksym Ryabukha, for his sermon during the Moleben, noting that he “stands near the front line, together with our priests and nuns, by the side of our soldiers who face death every day.”
He also thanked Bishop Stefan Zekorn for his solidarity:
“Thank you that the German people are with us today, that you are praying with our people here in Zarvanytsia.”
His Beatitude gave special praise to the righteous Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, whose 160th birthday the Church commemorates this year:
“We are grateful to God for another holy man who is now praying for us in heaven, while we pray for his glorification here on earth. Metropolitan Andrey shaped and led our Church during the First and Second World Wars. And today he teaches Ukrainians how to build their native home.”
He reminded the faithful that this year’s pilgrimage is a jubilee—the 30th—and that the Marian Spiritual Center in Zarvanytsia bears the title of minor papal basilica. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of its consecration.
In conclusion, the Head of the Church called on everyone to offer prayers of gratitude:
“For it is through gratitude that victory is achieved. Let us give thanks to the Lord for the great gifts of God, which make us strong—thanks to which Ukraine stands, Ukraine fights, Ukraine prays.”
He ended with a heartfelt prayer:
“Mother of God, save us! We offer you our prayers. We know and see that evil retreats before our prayers. Mother of God, implore peace for all of us. Beg that our sons and daughters return home, that we find all those who have gone missing, that the wounds of those injured in this terrible war be healed, that all prisoners be released, and all those who have been separated be reunited, so that we may rebuild all that has been destroyed. And for this, we implore God’s blessing upon our people, our Church, and our Ukraine tonight,” concluded His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The UGCC Department for Information
