In the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sykhiv, Lviv, a photo exhibition entitled “The Pope and Sykhiv” has opened to mark the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Lviv in June 2001. The exhibition presents photographs of the Pope’s arrival at the church, his meetings with local residents, the Papal blessing and the Liturgy.
The photographs capturing key moments of the pontiff’s stay in Sykhiv have been placed on large wooden easels so that visitors can study them closely and recall events that took place a quarter of a century ago. For the older generation, this is an opportunity to relive that historic encounter, and for young people and children who did not witness it, to see the atmosphere surrounding John Paul II’s visit to Lviv.
The organisers invite everyone to visit the photo exhibition, which will run until Monday, 29 June, and also to pray before the icon of Saint John Paul II with his relics, which is kept in the church.
These days the church is also hosting a retreat led by Fr Roman Laba. On 26 June, a night of prayer vigil for young people is planned under the guidance of Bishop Maksym Ryabukha. The celebrations will culminate in a Pontifical Divine Liturgy on 28 June at 11:00 in the square in front of the church, to be presided over by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the UGCC.
As part of the anniversary commemorations, a cycling pilgrimage has already taken place along the Pope’s Lviv route: on 20 June, 120 Lviv residents cycled from the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sykhiv to the Archcathedral of Saint George. It was along this very route that the Papal motorcade travelled 25 years ago.
Throughout June, Lviv is marking the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Ukraine, within which numerous spiritual, cultural, artistic and youth events are planned in the city.
Background: Pope John Paul II paid an official visit to Ukraine in June 2001. It was the first official visit of the Head of the Catholic Church to our country. The pontiff visited Kyiv and Lviv. In Lviv he stayed from 25 to 27 June, met with young people near the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sykhiv, and celebrated Liturgies in the Latin and Byzantine rites at the Lviv Hippodrome, during which he proclaimed 28 new martyrs of the UGCC and two clergy of the RCC blessed.