Cardinal Parolin visits Marian shrine in Ukraine

For the third time since the Russian invasion began, Latin Catholics in Ukraine will march to the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Berdychiv, in the central-western part of the country. The church, attached to a monastery, was elevated to the status of a Marian shrine in 2011. This year, the Catholics will be joined on July 21 by the Vatican Secretary of State, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Latin Catholics are a tiny minority in Ukraine, numbering only 450,000 before the war in a country of nearly 45 million, about 1% of the population. Despite these small numbers and the ongoing war with Russia, the Berdychiv pilgrimage remains popular. Fearing bombing, many of the faithful who do not wish to travel can follow Mass via videoconference.

“Strikes are unpredictable, but it is important for the Ukrainian religious authorities to allow the faithful to live their faith and at the same time ensure their safety,” explained Father Michel Dymyd, a theology professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. In 2022, when the videoconferencing system was first used, 1,000 people still filled the church.

“In Ukraine, devotion to Mary is very strong”

The pilgrimage, like the shrine, is dedicated to Mary. “In Ukraine, devotion to Mary is very strong. Icons depicting her can be found all over the country: believers love to worship Christ through the intercession of his mother,” Father Dymyd assured. Indeed, the pilgrimage to Berdychiv is motivated in particular by the presence of an icon of Mary in the form of a painting. Since the foundation of the monastery and the unveiling of the painting in 1630, believers have attributed healings and other miracles to it. Therefore, in 2011, the monastery and the church were designated a national Marian shrine by the Ukrainian Catholic bishops.

In this context, marked by faith tested by war, Cardinal Parolin’s visit to Berdychiv is a powerful symbol, both religious and diplomatic. For Ukrainians, this visit can be seen as a step towards a future visit by the Pope, who has never been to Ukraine.

“For Ukrainians and the government, a papal visit would be much more interesting: it would be a more direct diplomatic symbol,” Father Dymyd said. Pope Francis recently spoke again with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit on June 14. “A papal visit would be seen as very providential and would show Ukrainians that their suffering from the Russian attack is heard and important,” the priest said.

The Berdychiv pilgrimage is not the only Catholic pilgrimage in Ukraine. Greek Catholic Ukrainians celebrated their annual pilgrimage in early July in the town of Zarvanytsya, 400 kilometers west of Berdychiv. Before the war, Greek Catholic Ukrainians made up 7% of the country’s population.