His Beatitude Sviatoslav in Stryi prayed in front of the Liska Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God

On Sunday, 10 July 2011, with a Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Stryi were concluded solemnities on the occasion of the pilgrimage to the Liska Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God. Around 16,000 pilgrims, mainly from Stryj, surrounding villages and other districts of Lviv region, participated in this year's pilgrimage.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), the Father and the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, joined these celebrations with his Archpastoral visit. Along with His Beatitude at the Pontifical Divine Liturgy were concelebrating Bishop Taras (Senkiv), Apostolic Administrator of Stryj Eparchy, as well as numerous clergy, - reports the official website of  Stryj Eparchy. In his homily, His Beatitude Sviatoslav first of all greeted all the present and expressed great joy of his stay in Stryi, especially in the Dormition Cathedral where he grew up and also served his first Liturgies as a priest and  as a Bishop. His Beatitude Sviatoslav paid attention to the importance of faith in human life and especially in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, through whom God's Word incarnated in the world: "the Blessed Virgin Mary is the first one who has believed. Her faith let the Word of God into the human race. She took the active Word of God into her womb, and gave birth the Word to the world." Recalling the Liska Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God, the UGCC Primate said that Theotokos is also our guide to Christ: “The Blessed Virgin Mary, who is glorified in the Liska Miraculous Icon, reveals that she is now alive and active in her Church. This icon has incorporated the history of our people, and everyone who comes to it, feels that the Mother of God prays for him/her. The Mother of God shows all of us the way. With one hand, she is holding her Son, and with another, she points out to Him. Through Mary we should go to Him! " At the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked Bishop Taras, priests, religious and lay people gathered for the celebrations. After the prayer in the intention of the Holy Father, His Beatitude extended to all the present his blessing. He also sprinkled the faithful with holy water during the procession around the Cathedral.   The Head of the UGCC left his first panaghia (an engolpion with an icon of the Theotokos, worn by a Bishop – auth.) in front of the Miraculous Icon as a gift to the Blessed Virgin Mary, thanking her for the gift of his ministry to God and to the Church. UGCC Information Department