Pilgrimage to the Roots

August 23, 2008, on 170th anniversary of the birth of Mother Columba the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters decided to travel to the roots, to Jasnishchi, Ukraine, there where its Foundress was born to the world. Delegates represented every existing community of the Congregation. On the fields of Jasnishchi where the Bialecki’s manor once stood, sisters participated in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Bishop Leon Mały of Lviv (Ukraine) in the company of numerous priests welcomed also pilgrims from Chortkiv and Brody as well as Greek-Catholic inhabitants of Jasnishchi. All joined in prayer of thanksgiving.

Next, all participants traveled to the nearby Pidkamin. As they gathered by the Statue of Our Lady in the church’s courtyard, sisters laid flowers as an expression of gratitude for the gift of Mother’s life. After so many years of Congregation’s existence, the gratitude got extended to every sister and her own vocation: with no exception, every single one of us once heard the voice of God to follow in the footsteps of Jesus on the trail delineated by Mother Columba. Once decision was made, we became capable of generous response to the adventure of a lifetime as a Dominican. Gathered together by Mary, our Mother, we entrusted to God all of our communities scattered all over the world asking that faithful to the original charism we might be the chosen place where gospel is lived out.

The following day, the Sisters of Saint Dominic set out for Lviv to the church of St. Mary Magdalene, once the parish church of our Servant of God. There we celebrated the Eucharist with his Eminence Cardinal Marian Jaworski, the ordinary of Lviv.