This year’s Eparchial Marian Pilgrimage commemorated the 10th Anniversary of the Beatification of 27 martyrs of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II, now also proclaimed Blessed, on his pastoral visit to Ukraine, on June 27, 2001, in Lviv.

Guest homilist was Fr. John Sianchuk, CSsR, of Saskatoon, SK, who, in his term as Provincial Superior of the Redemptorists of the Yorkton Province, arranged for the enshrining of the mortal remains of one of the martyrs, Blessed Martyr Bishop Vasyl Velychkovskyj, CSsR, at St. Joseph’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Winnipeg, MB, and has since done extensive research on his life, in Ukraine.

Fr. Sianchuk brought with him reliquaries with first class relicsFirst class relics are a part of the body of the venerated saint or blessed: a piece of bone, hair, etc. A second class relic is something that the venerated one used: a piece of clothing, particular tool, etc. A third class relic is something which has touched a first or second class relic: e.g. a piece of cloth used to clean the bones of the venerated one. For more on relics, click the term. of both Blessed Vasyl and Blessed Martyr Bishop Nicholas Charnetskyj, CSsR, first-named among the 27. Along with our own first class relics of Blessed Martyr Sister Tarsykia Matskiv, SSMI, and Blessed Sister Josaphata Hordashevska, SSMI Co-foundress, also beatified on that occasion, but not as a Martyr, these were included in procession to the Pontifical Divine Liturgy on the pilgrimage grounds.

After the Divine Liturgy, the relics were presented for veneration by the 900+ pilgrims.