Celebrating “thanksgiving” for the fifteen years since the resumption of the public activity of the Greek-Catholic parishes in Belarus, and also commemorating the “witnesses to the faith” who gave their life over the centuries to preach Christianity in Bielorussian territory: these are the two central motives of the “12th annual pilgrimage of Bielorussian Greek-Catholics” from Vitebsk to Polatsk, now taking place. This year’s pilgrimage is accompanied by the motto: “Remain steadfast in faith”. As explained by the Apostolic Visitator, Archimandrite Siarhiej Gajek, the days of the pilgrimage are severally devoted to the family as environment of faith (first day), evangelization (second day), the places of the community (third day), and the commemoration of the dead and the victims of persecution (Saturday, 15 July). On Sunday 16 July, the final day, the celebration will include a homily given by the nuncio Monsignor Martin Vidovic and an intervention by Father Gajek himself. Belarus can claim a long and illustrious roll call of martyrs and witnesses. They include the canonized Princes Boris and Gleb, called “strastoterpcy” (martyred in 1015), “Heavenly Patrons”, various bishop and women religious saints, and the Blessed Mikalaj Charniecki, Apostolic Visitator for Byzantine Catholics just after the First World War; he died in Soviet prisons at Lvov in 1959, and was beatified by John Paul II in 2001. Another important figure is Father Anton Niemancevich, who was Exarch-Apostolic Administrator confirmed by Pius XII in 1941 and who died in a Nazi prison at Minsk in 1943. Lastly, the processes for the beatification of the Servants of God, Archimandrites Fabian Abrantovich and Andrei Cikota, have been opened in Moscow. Both died, the one in 1946, the other in 1952, in Stalinist prisons due to their fidelity to the Pope. Also to be commemorated during the pilgrimage will be the ecumenical ministry of Bishop Ceslau Sipovich (who died in 1981); he was a pastor who devoted himself tirelessly to the religious, national and cultural revival of his compatriots.
