Popular Mission in Tomashpil City

From March 26 to April 2, Popular Missions were held in the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in urban-type villages Tomashpil, Vapnyarka and Komarhorod village of Vinnitsa region. Missions were conducted by Missionaries from the Vice-Province of SS. Cyryl and Methodius of the Congragation of the Mission. All the parishioners have been preparing for the missions with intense prayer. Every day, everyone gathered for Holy Mass, where they listened to missionary sermons. Every day there was a new topic for reflection. The first three days they reflected on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, General Confession and sin, as well as conversion. On the fourth day, a family from the «Community in Dialogue» rehabilitation center shared their experience of conversion and overcoming drug addiction. On Thursday, the married couples of the parish renewed their marriage vows, and the widows and widowers of the parish received a special blessing. On Friday, the relics of the Blessed Sister Marta Wiecka were presented, and during the divine service people prayed together the litany to the blessed one, and everyone could honor the relics. The next day, on Saturday, after Holy Mass, the Sisters of Mary of the Miraculous Medal presented the Medal and gave a figurine of the Immaculate Virgin Mary as a gift for a Parish. This figurine will remain in the parish, and it will travel from family to family in homes of parishioners. After the presentation, there was an opportunity for everyone to take a medal and become a member of the International Association of the Miraculous Medal.

The Holy Missions ended on Palm Sunday with the solemn consecration of the restored Missionary Cross, and everyone received a blessing of forgiveness.

All the participants of Missions are grateful to God for this blessed week, which they spent together in prayer, listening to the Word of God and experiencing the Holy Eucharist, as the center and the peak of Christian life.

We are very grateful to Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Stanislav Svurka, who invited us and prepared his parishioners to the Holy Missions. Many thanks to all the parishioners for their active participation in the Holy Missions, during which we felt they were open to the Word of God. May the good God reward everyone for their efforts and bless them, so that in the future there were good fruits of this holy time, which we spent together.