The Belynich Icon of the Mother of God
Commemorated on April 12
The Belynich Icon
of the Mother of God initially was situated in one of the Orthodox churches
of the Mogilevsk district. After the emergence of the Unia (1596) the icon
passed over to the Catholics and was set up in a church of the Belynich
Catholic monastery, founded in 1622-1624 by the hetman of Great Lithuania, Lev
Sapega, on the banks of the River Druta, 45 versts from Mogilev. The icon was
venerated both by Catholics and by Orthodox. In 1832 the monastery was dissolved,
and the Catholic church became a parish church.
In 1876 it was given
over to the Orthodox with a restoral of the monastery. On 12 April of that year
in this temple was made a first Divine liturgy at the altar-table consecrated
by an Orthodox bishop, in honour of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God.
The Belynich Icon of the Mother of God is something regarded holy in-common
through the Christian world.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
