Consecration of Heart of Mary Grotto in Mykolaiv turns into interfaith celebration
On September 20, at the Church of St. Joseph Mykolayiv deanery of Odessa-Simferopol of the RCC, the grotto named Heart of Mary was solemnly consecrated,” reports RISU journalist Tetyana Dlinna.
Celebrations began with the Holy Mass, led by Bishop of the Roman Catholic Odessa-Simferopol Diocese Bronislaw Bernatsky, assisted by general rector Richard Hlavatsky, and clergymen of Mykolayiv deanery. After the service there was a religious procession and consecration of the grotto with a sculpture of the Virgin Maryinstalled therein.
According to the parishioners, initiator of creation of the grotto Heart of Mary was Father Olexandr Repin, rector of St. Joseph Church. Construction materials were donated by sponsors and funds for construction and a statue of Our Lady, which was made to order Polish masters, gather the whole community.
In a conversation with a RISU reporter, Father Olexandr noted that the construction of chapels and grottoes was a tradition of Catholic parishes around the world. Next year the Catholic Church begins to celebrate the anniversary of the revelation of the Virgin of Fatima, therefore the similar grottoes would be erected in all Catholic parishes. However, noted the church rector, the main reason for the construction of the sanctuary were the prayer needs of the parishioners of St. Joseph Church and all the faithful of the entire Mykolayiv region.
The peculiarity of the architectural composition of the grotto is a heart of pink granite, which is mounted on the right of the front panel. According to Fr Olexendr, the idea of its creation belongs to Oleksiy Burov, head of the Catholic community and its builderat the same time. “During the prayer each person can touch the Heart of Mary, which is particularly symbolic for the newlyweds who have just been married in the temple,” the pastor said.
“The sanctuary was built on the site of the first church dedicated to St. Joseph,”chairman of the Catholic parish Oleksiy Burov says. “Before the revolution, every tenth resident of Mykolayiv was Catholic by confession. As you can see, this year the number of parishioners has significantly increased, as the restoration of Catholic cultural traditions is an important matter. Since the Church of St. Joseph was built in the Gothic style, we tried that architecture of the new grotto was respective. In fact, we have a chapel in a grotto,” the builder of the Catholic parish told our journalist.
Another feature of the feast of the Catholic community became the participation representatives of various Christian denominations: UAOC,UGCC and Protestants. Vitaly Papushoy, pastor of the Evangelical Christian Church ‘Incense’ and chaplain of ‘ShyrokyyLan’ landfill along with their parishioners staged a music concert for the faithful on the occasion.
The RCC parish of St. Joseph, through the work of the new rector, Fr Oleksandr Repin, who also serves as chaplain in the 79thAir Mobile Brigade and ‘ShyrokyyLan’ landfill, became the center of interfaith dialogue in Mykolaiv, the RISU journalist notes.
