The Prayer of Consecration that His Holiness Francis will pray to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of God contains the beautiful quote from Our Lady of Guadalupe:
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We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart. We are your beloved children. In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion. At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort. Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?” You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times. In you we place our trust. We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.
I found it a joyful surprise to see the quote included in the prayer in light of the fact that Our Lady of Guadalupe is becoming more well known in Ukraine.
Here's a list of links of interest:
Bishop Bryan Bayda, CSsR:
What Our Lady of Guadalupe means to a Ukrainian bishop: Link. [aleteia.org]
In Mexico I was asking the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for Ukraine, - Bishop Mykhailo Bubniy during a presentation of a book about Our Lady of Guadalupe: Link. [news.ugcc.ua]
Our parish of the Holy Eucharist in Toronto has a large icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As I understand it, Orthodox iconographers have examined the image and have said it does fit the categorization of an actual icon. This must mean that the Most Holy Mother of God is an excellent Iconographer !
Many years ago, I saw an icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It had been travelling across America, and was with some Sisters during a retreat. I'm no iconographer, so no idea if it was legit - but it was very beautiful.
It doesn't surprise me that the Theotokos would make an excellent Iconographer.
Griego Amigo mentioned the Church of St Nicholas on Askold's Grave. I would like to add a point of information on that.
Askold was the king of Kyivan Rus' in the ninth century. He tried to take Constantinople with many ships. But Patriarch St Photios came out with the sash of the Theotokos and placed it in the water. As King Askold looked on, he saw waves developed that ruined his ships. He was moved, converted to Christianity and sued for peace. He asked for missionaries to come with him to Kyiv and St Photios assigned two - Cyril and Methodius. Askold was baptized with the name of "Nicholas" and brought the cult of St Nicholas the Wonderworker to Kyiv as a result. St Olha the Great, grandmother of Saint Volodymyr the Great, built the church of St Nicholas over Askold's Grave - a form of canonization at the time. St Askold-Nicholas was locally veneratedin Kyivan Rus' from then on. The Ukrainian Catholic Church honours him and there is an Akathist to him. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, independent of Moscow, has canonized him. Before that, St John of Kronstadt had a deep personal veneration of Askold. What is called Askold's Grave became a national monument. For Vladyka Bubniy to have installed the icon of the Mother of God of Guadalupe there was his way of dedicating Ukraine to her. May Our Lady of Guadalupe grant victory to the army and people of Ukraine in their struggle against the barbaric attack of the evil, genocidal forces of that demon-incarnate, Putin!
The Church of St. Nicholas on Askold's Grave is where Pope Saint John Paul II prayed before the original miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Zarvanystia during his apostolic visit to Ukraine in June 2001. The icon was brought over from the shrine in Zarvanytsia and was present during the Divine Liturgy in Kyiv. Enshrined in the church is a copy of the Zarvanytsia icon, which is itself miraculous. I didn't understand at first why the copy looked the way it did...until I read online that the icon is credited with having saved the church from arson by falling off the wall from where it hung and landing on top of the flames to extinguish them! Read more about it here: Link 1. [ugcc.church] Link 2. [pilgrimage.in.ua] Link 3. [askoldova-mohyla.org]
In 1963, the Russian communists dynamited the Church in Zarvanytsia where the original miraculous icon was enshrined. The church was reduced to rubble but the icon was untouched. I remember seeing a photo of what can only be called a miraculous event!
I inherited a small copy of the icon of Zarvanytsia from my grandmother, Presbytera Irene, who kept it by her bedside all her life and was touched to the original, I believe.
The word "Zarvanytsia" comes from the Ukrainian word "zarvatysia" or to rise up quickly - the experience a fleeing monastic had under the icon. It is also one of the icons associated with the Protective Mantle of the Most Holy Mother of God as She appeared over the village of Zarvanytsia extending her mantle or scapular.
Our former Bishop, Vladyka Stephan, was in Zarvanytsia for an indulgenced pilgrimage ("Vidpust" - also very popular in Ukrainian Orthodox circles, probably a carry-over from the Uniat times . . .). He looked out on the square an was told thousands of pilgrims were there. He wondered, as he later said, where all those pilgrims were staying as there are no hotels at Zarvanytsia . . . And then he saw them all coming out of the nearby woods and fields . . . thousands of them who had slept in tents. It is the most popular Ukrainian Catholic shrine in western Ukraine and I grew up with that devotion. The icon is also highly honoured in Orthodox circles. as an Orthodox icon.
And now that Vladyka Brian is our permanent Eparch, Our Lady of Guadalupe is everywhere. As a Redemptorist, he promotes devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help - also extremely popular among our people. We will just have to get used to Our Lady of Guadalupe too!! (There's a lovely akathist to her . . . I've already given him a copy).
In my spare time, I really like reading about the back and forth of cultural diffusion between the Levant and Latin America. Since arriving in L.A., I feel close to La Virgen de Guadalupe and looked into getting an icon commissioned of her by the ROCOR monastery in Mexico City. When I have $600 to spare, that will be the tama/offering I'll offer to the Theotokos. إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ.
I don't think my comment warrants its own thread, but in a parish I attend on rare occasions, St. Anna Cathedral in North Hollywood, CA, there's a tiny shrine on the front lawn of Panayia of Guadalupe (السيدة غوادالوبي).
Thank you for posting! Next time I'm driving through North Hollywood, I'll be sure to stop by and see the shrine.
The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is found in almost every Orthodox cathedral and parish in Mexico:
Cathedral of the Ascension of Our Lord (OCA), Mexico: link. [flickr.com] Saints Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Mexico: link. [iglesiaortodoxa.org.mx] Saint Anthony the Great Antiochian Orthodox Monastery, Mexico: link. [flickr.com] Protection of the Mother of God Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), Mexico: link. [web.archive.org]
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In my spare time, I really like reading about the back and forth of cultural diffusion between the Levant and Latin America.
You may be interested to know that there is a parish in Bir Zeit under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe: CNEWA article [cnewa.org]
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Since arriving in L.A., I feel close to La Virgen de Guadalupe and looked into getting an icon commissioned of her by the ROCOR monastery in Mexico City. When I have $600 to spare, that will be the tama/offering I'll offer to the Theotokos. إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ.
I would have thought that ROCOR would be opposed to the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, but I am pleasantly surprised to discover that one of the monks did paint an icon: link. [fundforassistance.org]
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