Kyiv, Mar 29 (EFE).- Thousands of followers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were gathering on Wednesday at the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves for what could be the last service to be held at the historic church. Because of its affiliation with the Moscow Patriarchate, the UOC’s monks – whom the Ukrainian government accuses of …
Prayer Intention – For all the unemployed
Zarvanytsia is a small village with just over 300 citizens. The village is known for its icon of the Mother of God, reputed to work miracles and is a popular site of pilgrimage, attracting Ukrainians both from the country as well as the diaspora scattered around the world. The history of the village and the icon dates back to the 13th century. In 1240, a monk fled the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, which was devastated by a Mongol invasion, and stopped in a secluded valley to drink water from a spring and pray to the Blessed Virgin. Having done so, and exhausted by the long travel, he fell asleep and saw the Mother of God. After awakening completely rejuvenated, he found the icon and decided to stay there and build a chapel by the spring to house the icon. News of the miraculous icon spread among the local population and reached the gravely sick duke, brother of the only Ukrainian King. The duke ordered the icon to be brought to him but when t