11th Annual Pilgrimage of TNMU Teachers to Zarvanytsia

On September 25, 2021, the annual professional pilgrimage of educators took place in the Zarvanytsia Marian Spiritual Centre, which is traditionally held on the eve of the Day of the Education Worker.

The slogan of this year’s pilgrimage of teachers was the words of Patriarch Josyph Slipyi “Faith and science – two wings”. Teachers, educators, employees of educational institutions of Ternopil region and other regions of Western Ukraine took part in the pilgrimage. Also on this day, having overcome the nearby pilgrimage route, the clergy and faithful of the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Diocese arrived in Zarvanytsia on a pilgrimage.

14 lecturers of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil State Medical University with the assistance of the University administration also joined a joint prayer led by Auxiliary Bishop of Ternopil-Zboriv Theodore (Martyniuk) for God’s care for educators and good science, enlightenment for students and all those who study the world to the glory of God.

In the pastoral speech, the bishop reflected on the importance of the virtue of God’s Wisdom, noting that it is the key to good upbringing and education of children and future generations. “God’s wisdom is more than just knowing. It is possible, my dear, only when we are in constant contact with the Lord, when we take up our cross and follow Him, when we do not replace love for God with earthly attachments. The wisdom of God is when we do not save our lives, but give it to our children, students. Only then we gain the wisdom of God”.

After the Liturgy, the bishop cordially greeted the pilgrims, thanked them for their daily work and presented icons of the Virgin of Zarvanytsia to Ms. Olha Khoma, the Head of the Department of Education and Science of Ternopil Regional State Administration and Ms. Natalia Moravska, the Head of the State Education Quality Service in Ternopil Oblast. Afterwards, the water was consecrated, the pilgrims prayed the Way of the Cross and at the end visited a complex of copies of the Holy Land – Ukrainian Jerusalem.

TNMU teachers express their gratitude to the management, administration and staff of the Centre for Educational Work and Cultural Development for the trip organized and the opportunity to visit the miraculous place of grace to offer their prayers to the merciful God through Zarvanytsia Mother of God.

Photos by Olena Pokotylo