Hearts, prayers and hopes to the Virgin Mary of Trokely

The Sanctuary of the Mother of God, the Queen of Families in Trokely welcomed pilgrims. The annual festival in honour of the Virgin Mary attracted more than a hundred worshippers.

The neighbourhood of the agrotown came alive and started to speak at the weekend. All roads led here to the Mother of God of Trokely. With songs that glorified Mary and God pilgrims from different corners of Belarus came to the Church’s Square. With them they first of all carried the spiritual world of prayer. On Saturday the joy of the feast was shared with the Belarusians by their Lithuanian neighbours. Thanks to a "visa-free travel" they have arrived in Trokely by bus, bowed to the icon known to many Catholics and admired the picturesque landscapes near the church. Spiritually united, at midnight the faithful moved in procession with candles in their hands through the streets of the agrotown, asking God for the well-being of the people living there and expressing words of sincere gratitude for the opportunity to be together in this revered place.

In a beautiful tradition of restoring the sudjan duties, a new day of prayer almost began. More than fifty couples asked God's blessing. With tenderness the Sujan people looked into each other's eyes. The mature people seemed to grow a little younger, their thoughts returning to the bright and joyful day of their marriage. Caring men presented their wives with white roses as a symbol of Sudjan fidelity. To further commemorate the day that forever united the couples into a family a waltz sounded and white-winged doves flew into the sky.

The oldest couple were Anna and Tadeusz Zhuk from Lida. This year in August they will celebrate their 61st anniversary together. They are both from the Trokely parish and their hearts go out to their ancestral home in the village of Tokari. Their way to the Mother of God of Trokely is annual. Today they renewed their vows, so that their family - two children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren - may be united even stronger.

Beside them stood the residents of Sudja Anna and Nikolai Rynkiewicz and Helena and Viktor Wierka from Trokely, who decided to renew the pledges on their 25th anniversary of life together. On such a momentous holiday for Voronovo, the fellow countrymen believe, God Himself has ordained the icon of the Mother of God to ask for protection of the family from evil, intercession for the sorrows, as well as for well-being and peace.

“May the restoration of the Sujdan promises strengthen your future life. Give peace of love to one another, to your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren”, sounded the sincere wishes from the priests.

“With Mary to peace and unity”

These words have become the motto of this year's Trokely Festival. They were the leitmotif during the holy ishma, which was attended by the Bishop of Grodno Alexander Kashkevich, who was presided over by the Chairman of the Conference of Bishops of Belarus Oleg Butkevich.

“Entrust the families of our country to Mary, so that unity, love and peace may reign in every home”. said Bishop Butkevich, Bishop of Vitebsk. “|Entrust her with our affairs, the destiny of our land. Do not forget that mutual understanding and harmony will exist between us, if we are true Catholics, i.e. if we live according to the commandments of Christ”.

The chairman of the Voronovo District Executive Committee Dzmitry Zakharchuk, the chairman of the district council of deputies Alena Ganevich, the chairman of the Lida District Executive Committee Serhiy Lozhechnik also took part in the festivity.

“The sanctuary of the Mother Of God of Trokely has become a real symbol of the steadfastness of faith and devotion of people to the traditions of Christianity in Voronava district”, Dmitry Ivanovich told the audience. “Numerous pilgrims come here every year to get close to the Heavenly Patroness and get spiritual support. Mary helps bring together representatives of different generations, the future and the past, to enrich the present with a new content. May the prayer for Belarus, its people, and our small homeland - Voronovo - resound through the centuries in Trokely”.

At the end of the Holy Mass a letter of thanks of the Voronovo district council of deputies was given to the prior of Trokely Church Jury Begansky, thanks to whose efforts the famous church - a masterpiece of wooden architecture - has become distinctive and attractive for pilgrims and tourists.

Maryna KONDRATOVICH.

Photo by Oleg BELSKY.

Перевод: Ангелина Дудевич, студентка ГрГУ им. Я.Купалы.