News
Pilgrimage 2020
The 89th Annual Pilgrimage to the Mother of God will be held in an abbreviated format at the Basilian Motherhouse in Fox Chase on Sunday, October 4, 2020. The theme is “Communion and Unity in the Life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church during the Pandemic.” For the first time ever, the event will be livestreamed on YouTube for those who wish to attend in person but are unable.
There will be several measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID. The Pilgrimage will be only about half as long and social distancing will be observed throughout. Confession and opportunities for individual prayer will last from 1:00 to 3:30. They will be followed by a moleben to the Mother of God, celebrated from 3:30 to 4:30 by Archbishop Borys Gudziak. Masks will be required, bottled water will be provided, and hand sanitizer will be readily available; no food will be served.
Only thirty years ago the Ukrainian Church was outlawed in the Soviet Union, making it the largest illegal religious body in the world. Yet God has allowed our Church to flourish far and wide, so that today Ukrainian Catholics may be found through the Americas, Europe, and Australia. Now more than ever must we commit ourselves to unity, both in the face of rising national issues as well as the pandemic. We invite you to join us in prayer on this first Sunday in October to pray!
