Pilgrims journey to roots of Ruthenian Church

CHICAGO — It was a tight squeeze, but they did it. Thirty-five Byzantine Catholic pilgrims crowded into the tiny sanctuary of the nearly 300-year-old wooden Church of St. Nicholas in Ruska Bystra, Slovakia, for a photo to commemorate the unforgettable and deeply prayerful Divine Liturgy they celebrated there.

About 30 residents of the mountaintop village pressed into the small church to join them in prayer Sept. 24, and, after liturgy, offered them sweet and salty treats — traditional local favorites — to break the fast and to come together as one church, despite the barriers of language, culture and nationality.

This visit was one of the highlights of a 13-day pilgrimage, led by Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma to the spiritual and historic roots of the Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church. Such hospitality was typical of the warm welcome pilgrims received from the Byzantine Catholic communities throughout their time in Europe.



The Horizons-sponsored trip was also an opportunity for some pilgrims to visit the land of their forefathers for the first time.

The Sept. 16-28 pilgrimage was dedicated to the Mother of God, under the theme, “From Mariapoch to Mariapoch.” Building on a common devotion in the Eparchy of Parma to Our Lady of Mariapoch, the pilgrimage officially began at St. Stephen Cathedral in Vienna, where the original weeping icon that bears this title is reserved, and concluded at the shrine in Mariapocs, Hungary, dedicated to the second weeping icon of Our Lady of Mariapoch.

“A Tight Squeeze” might have been a good second choice as a theme for this pilgrimage, which was jam-packed with back-to-back visits of churches and historic places — more than 30 — as well as meetings with every Ruthenian bishop in Central Europe.



Pilgrims hopped on and off the tour bus several times a day and walked distances, uphill and down, to pray at sacred and historic sites in this region where the Ruthenian Catholic Church was established.

Knowing the pilgrimage offered unique, local church experiences that would not be available to most tourists traveling on their own, pilgrims kept up in outstanding fashion with the grueling schedule of early mornings and late nights that covered about 1,000 miles through Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine. The tour bus became a makeshift mobile chapel, as pilgrims sang hymns and the divine office all along the route, imbuing the entire pilgrimage with prayer.

Though many pilgrims experienced personal graces and highlights at different moments, a general highlight was the prayer time by the tombs of the three Greek Catholic martyr bishops, Blesseds Paul Gojdich and Basil Hopko, both buried in the cathedral of Presov, Slovakia, and Blessed Theodore Romzha, buried in the cathedral in Uzhorod, Ukraine. In Ukraine, pilgrims visited with Bishop Milan Sasik of Mukachevo. They also prayed by the tomb of Blessed Dominik Trcka in Michalovce, Slovakia, a Redemptorist priest who served Greek Catholics and who was also martyred by the communists.



They visited shrines dedicated to other Byzantine Catholic Marian devotions, new to most pilgrims, associated with church-approved miracles and apparitions, namely the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Klocokov and Our Lady of Litmanova, both in Eastern Slovakia.

Bishop Milan Chautur, CSsR, of Kosice, Slovakia, surprised Bishop Lach with a copy of the image of Our Lady of Klokocov. Bishop Chautur said the gift was a sign of the communion and love between the Eparchy of Kosice and the Eparchy of Parma. Bishop Lach told pilgrims at that time the image would be housed at St. Mary Parish in Marblehead, Ohio.



Pilgrims attended the Divine Liturgy for the 200th anniversary of the Archeparchy of Presov, Slovakia. Metropolitan Archbishop Jan Babjak, SJ, celebrated and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, delivered the homily.

Arriving at the shrine in Mariapocs, Hungary, was a highlight for all of the pilgrims, who requested more time to pray and take in the peaceful and prayerful spirit of the sacred site.



Yet another highlight was the rather spontaneous visit Sept. 26 to a relatively new Greek Catholic parish in the Eparchy of Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, dedicated to the gypsy community.

Bishop Abel Szocska of Nyiregyhaza extended the invite to the pilgrims once they arrived in his eparchy. Pilgrims were visibly moved to learn about the evangelization efforts to the gypsy community and by the hospitality they experienced among the gypsy people, who prepared a three-course traditional dinner and a concert of traditional songs and dances. By the end of the concert, the gypsies had most of the pilgrims dancing, too. 



In starting their pilgrimage in Vienna, pilgrims learned about the historical context in which the Ruthenian Church flourished under the Habsburg Empire. They first prayed in the Church of St. Barbara, which Empress Maria Theresa, gave to the Ruthenian Catholic Church as a college for its priests. The empress was known for promoting the Greek Catholic Church as equal to the Roman Catholic Church during her reign. Pilgrims would hear references to the influence and care of Maria Theresa for Greek Catholics throughout the rest of their journey.

The pilgrims moved onto Hungary after Vienna. Their stop in Debrecen Sept. 20 included a meeting with Metropolitan Archbishop Peter Fulop Kocsis of Hajdudorog, head of the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church. He spoke to pilgrims about the establishment of the archeparchy in 2015, the love and devotion Hungarians share with Parma for Our Lady of Mariapoch, and the spirit of pilgrimage.



Pilgrims met with Bishop Szocska the next day. They prayed with him in his cathedral and visited the well-respected Theological Institute, where they were hosted by seminarians and enjoyed Hungarian fare during a catered lunch. There, pilgrims also purchased hand-painted icons from local artists. Pilgrims visited the Ruthenian seminaries in Ukraine and Slovakia as well.

The next stop that day was to the cathedral of the Eparchy of Miskolc for Vespers and a visit with Bishop Atanasz Orosz. Pilgrims continued onto Slovakia, where they enjoyed the majestic Tatras Mountains.

They spent the last day of their travels, after Mariapocs, exploring Budapest; most shared in the optional dinner cruise on the Danube River.

With far too many experiences to report in detail, Horizons is planning an event in March at St. Nicholas Parish in Lorain, Ohio, with the assistance of pilgrim Madeline Zaworski, to share more on the pilgrimage. More information in upcoming issues of Horizons.
 
Caption 1: Pilgrims and new friends from the local community pose for a photo in front of the Church of St. Nicholas in Ruska Bystra, Slovakia, Sept. 24. Read more about the Horizons-sponsored pilgrimage to Central Europe, in honor of the Mother of God and aimed at discovering the roots of the Ruthenian Church. (Photo: Laura Ieraci)
 
Caption 2: Pilgrims squeeze together around Bishop Milan Lach, center, for a group shot in front of the icon screen of the nearly 300-year-old wooden Church of St. Nicholas in Ruska Bystra, Slovakia, after Divine Liturgy Sept. 24.

Caption 3: Father Andrew Summerson leads pilgrims in prayer before the tomb of Blessed Theodore Romzha in Uzhorod, Ukraine, Sept. 25.
 
Caption 4: Pilgrims venerate the original weeping icon of Our Lady of Mariapoch at St. Stephen Cathedral in Vienna, after the opening liturgy, Sept. 18.
 
Caption 5: Bishop Milan Chautur of Kosice, right, presents Bishop Milan Lach with a copy of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Klokocov Sept. 24.
 
Caption 6: Pilgrims pose with Bishop Milan Lach, center, in front of the side chapel at the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel in Mariapocs, Hungary, dedicated to the second miraculous icon of Our Lady of Mariapoch. The photo was taken after Bishop Lach celebrated the closing Divine Liturgy of the pilgrimage Sept. 26.
 
Caption 7: Members of the Greek Catholic parish dedicated to the gypsy community near Mariapocs, Hungary, perform traditional songs and dances, after serving pilgrims a traditional meal in their parish hall Sept. 26.
 
Caption 8: While staying in Cerveny Klastor, Slovakia, pilgrims go on a meandering river raft tour and enjoy the majestic Tatras Mountains Sept 22.
 
(All photos: Laura Ieraci)