Celebrations in honour of the Zaleszany Icon of the Mother of God and the Holy Martyrs of Podlasie were held on Saturday, July 25, at the Orthodox Convent of Saint Catherine in Zaleszany, Poland.
The celebrations began the previous evening with the arrival of Archbishop Grzegorz of Bielsk, who presided over an All-Night Vigil attended by clergy and numerous pilgrims.
On the feast day, an Akathist to the Mother of God was followed by the arrival of Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, accompanied by Archbishop Grzegorz of Bielsk, Bishop Andrzej of Supraśl and Bishop Warsonofiusz of Siemiatycze.
Addressing the faithful, Metropolitan Sawa reflected on the importance of preserving the memory of the local martyrs and referred to the church currently being built by the sisters.
“Every drop of a martyr’s blood is a new gift of life. Every martyr is a new seed,” Metropolitan Sawa said, describing Zaleszany as a place of spiritual renewal, prayer, repentance and healing.
The Divine Liturgy followed, during which many faithful received Holy Communion. Metropolitan Sawa later thanked Abbess Catherine, the clergy, representatives of the local authorities and the faithful for their participation.
The celebrations traditionally concluded with a procession carrying the Zaleszany Icon of the Mother of God to the cross commemorating the tragic events that took place in Zaleszany in January 1946.
Abbess Catherine expressed her gratitude to the hierarchs, clergy and pilgrims for attending the feast and joining in prayer.
Photos: Jarosław Charkiewicz
