Pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia

The origins of Zarvanytsia are linked to the appearance of a miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which appeared in an extraordinary way to a Kievan monk fleeing the Batu Khan invasion. The monk discovered a spring brightly shining in the forest. It was here, in a clearing next to the gently flowing Strypa River, that he built a church and a monastery. Residents from all corners of the world flock to this shrine in Western Ukraine. The history of Zarvanytsia has now spanned seven and a half centuries.
A trip to the Marian Spiritual Complex during these festive Christmas days has become a tradition for the best residents of the Berezhany Reformatory. Once again, the excursion was organised with the assistance of the community and a clergyman of the UGCC, the colony’s chaplain, Father Mykhailo Buhai of the Church of the Pratulyn Martyrs.
The colony administration quite often employs the encouragement measure provided for by the Criminal-Executive Code, such as granting the right to attend cultural, entertainment, and sporting events outside the reformatory, accompanied by colony staff. Therefore, the colony staff carefully prepared for the event, selecting the best and most diligent residents, and the boys prepared themselves.
And so, the awaited day arrived. Throughout the entire journey from Berezhany to Zarvanytsia, a festive mood prevailed on the bus. Volunteers from the UGCC community, young boys and girls who also took part in the excursion, encouraged the residents to join in sincere prayer and carols.
The excursion began at the local parish church of the Holy Trinity, where the residents knelt and prayed before the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. While in the church, the boys listened to the history of the spiritual complex's creation, and in particular the history of the miraculous icon, from the rector of the church, Father Petro. Speaking about the healing properties and miraculous power of the icon, the clergyman emphasised that every person sins on their life path and every person can falter, but upon realising this and asking the Mother of God for healing, one can receive it. And it does not matter what your religion is or what place you occupy in society: the most important thing is to sincerely believe, pray, and ask for forgiveness and healing as you would from a loving mother. Thousands of Christians have found spiritual and physical healing in Zarvanytsia over the centuries, and as each resident bowed to the icon, they believed in the Lord's forgiveness for themselves.
Father Mykhailo, who led the excursion, told the residents about the multitude of healing cases that have occurred on this holy land and also introduced them to the majority of the Marian centre’s sites: the Cathedral of the Zarvanytsia Mother of God, the Underground Church, the chapels over the spring and by the monk, and the complex’s largest structure — the bell tower.
The residents and staff bowed to the miraculous icons of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Crucified Saviour, listened to the stories of seminarians, and healed their bodies and souls with the life-giving water. The residents were most impressed by the variety of nativity scenes that announce the birth of Jesus Christ to the world, as well as the chapel with the monk who, according to legend, will certainly grant wishes made with sincere faith.
At the end of the excursion, the boys visited the spring of Saint Anne and listened to stories about the miracles it has created and the healing properties of its water.
The time spent in this miraculous place, where a personal Divine presence is felt, will remain in the memories of the residents for a long time, and the spiritual atmosphere of this place sparked in many of them the desire to visit it again in the future.
Having returned to the institution, the boys shared their impressions and emotions regarding what they had seen, retold what they had heard to their peers, and described their experiences. Such a holy place cannot fail to touch hearts, and as a result, there have been many requests from other residents of the colony for the opportunity to take part in a similar event. We hope that one will certainly take place.

Nataliia Tkach
Senior Inspector of the Socio-Educational and Psychological Work Department of the Berezhany Reformatory