Pilgrimage at Mount St. Macrina opens today
The 78th annual pilgrimage to Our Lady of Perpetual Help officially opens today at Mount St. Macrina, located along Route 40 just north of Uniontown.
Hosted by the Sisters of St. Basil and conducted under the patronage of The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, this year’s pilgrimage uses the theme “Theotokos, Guide on the Journey of Life.” The pilgrimage is the oldest and largest Byzantine Catholic pilgrimage in the United States and attracts pilgrims from across the United States.
“On behalf of the Sisters of St. Basil, we invite Fayette County residents to come for spiritual reflection at the pilgrimage and we look forward to seeing everyone there,” said Susan McCarthy, spokeswoman for the Sisters of St. Basil. “All denominations are welcome.”
The pilgrimage opens today at 10:15 a.m. with a procession of the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help to the Shrine Altar where a Divine Liturgy will begin at 10:30 a.m. Bishop John M. Kudrick, bishop of Parma, Ohio, is the celebrant. Sister Seraphim Olsafsky, provincial of the Sisters of St. Basil, will give a welcome.
The Divine Liturgy will be followed by a procession to the Lourdes Grotto for the solemn blessing of water by Kudrick. Pilgrims will be able to take some of the water either in their own containers or in containers available for purchase on site.
Today’s schedule also includes opportunities for reconciliation (also known as confession) from 7:30 a.m.to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., children’s pilgrimage at 2 p.m., an enrichment session on “Marriage and Family Life” at 2 p.m., teen pilgrimage at 3 p.m., vespers with Divine Liturgy at 4 p.m., and an enrichment session on bereavement at 6 p.m.
A procession from the House of Prayer to Mount Macrina Cemetery begins at 7 p.m. with Parastas at the cemetery at 7:30 p.m. with Bishop Gerald N. Dino, bishop of Phoenix, as celebrant. This is followed by a candlelight procession from the cemetery to the Shrine Altar. Separate socials for teenagers and young adults follow.
The pilgrimage continues through Sunday night. Pilgrimage schedules are available at Mount St. Macrina with a complete list of events and a grounds map.