ST. JOSAPHAT CATHEDRAL IN PARMA DEDICATES OUR LADY OF POCHAIV SHRINE (Parma, Ohio)

Hundreds of people gathered here on a glorious Pentecost Sunday morning to officially dedicate Our Lady of Pochaiv Shrine on the grounds of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral. The ceremony capped seven years of planning, fund raising, and hard work by the St. Josaphat Apostleship of Prayer, a small group of prayerful women who had a desire to honor Our Lady and make a contribution to the church. “It has been Our Lady who took our desires and led us to build this shrine in her honor,” said Christina Sywyj-Hlabse, current president of the Apostleship of Prayer. “Today it is our privilege to present this gift of love to our church, to our fellow parishioners, and to all those who will pray and worship here for generations to come.” Bishop John Bura, Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, presided at the Divine Liturgy which was part of the dedication ceremony. “It is a beautiful shrine and we are grateful to all those who helped,” he said at the conclusion of his homily. “This is a great day for our Cathedral parish and certainly a blessing for us all,” Bishop Bura told those in attendance. “It is my great privilege to gather with the clergy and all of you to participating, along with the members of the Apostleship of Prayer, to bless and dedicate Our Lady of Pochaiv Shrine today.” The Bishop led numerous clergy and hundreds of parishioners in a procession around the Cathedral, and arriving at the Shrine, presided over the formal dedication, sprinkling the Shrine with holy water brought from the monastery in Pochaiv, Ukraine. “Certainly the Mother of God is present here with us today,” Bishop Bura said, “with her mantle to cover us and protect us.” Cathedral Pastor Rev. Michael Kulick followed the bishop in blessing the Shrine and reminded parishioners of the miraculous history of Our Lady of Pochaiv, who appeared to a monk and some shepherds on Mount Pochaiv in western Ukraine on April 17, 1198. Her icon, whose origin remains a mystery, is credited with many miracles, including the defeat of the invading Turks at the Pochaiv Lavra in 1675, and the saving of 200 lives during a church collapse in the 1780’s. “Just as our Blessed Mother selected Pochaiv from where she would produce miracles, our Blessed Mother also chose us, the parishioners of St. Josaphat, and the members of the Apostleship of Prayer,” Rev. Kulick said. “Through our obedience to her and our imitation of her, we were guided along the way to this point, to this day. She promises us her protection. We honor her today, and we now ask through the grace of God and the guidance of our Bishop John for the blessing of this shrine for our future protection.” Commissioned by the St. Josaphat Apostleship of Prayer, the shrine was designed by Kulchytsky Architects. The icon mosaic was designed by Eikona Studios of Cleveland and assembled in Italy. Our Lady of Pochaiv is revered in both Catholic and Orthodox churches. The icon is known as a “tenderness” icon, because Jesus’ and Mary’s face touch, while Jesus gives a blessing with his hand.