Catholics of the Vitebsk region are preparing to celebrate Easter
On the eve of the bright Easter holiday, a traditional meeting with journalists was held by Bishop Oleg Butkevich of Vitebsk.
The Catholic hierarch first reminded those present that the Resurrection is the greatest event for Christians. This is a time when everyone must awaken faith within themselves, return to their roots, and take a step towards God. For Christianity is the foundation on which we must build our lives.
The Easter Triduum began with Maundy Thursday, when we commemorated the Lord's Supper, the institution of the sacraments of priesthood and the Eucharist. On Good Friday, we experienced Christ's suffering and death on the cross. Today is a time when we pray in silence at the symbolic tomb of the Son of God, awaiting His Resurrection, which we will begin to celebrate on the evening of the Easter Vigil and continue on Easter Sunday.
The bishop emphasized that it is important not only to, as they say, "have God in your heart," but also to participate in church services to strengthen faith, receive extraordinary grace, which brings us closer to the most important things in our lives. This helps to cleanse souls, to understand true love and forgiveness, which are so lacking in society today.
In addition to the upcoming holiday, other issues concerning the life of the church and upcoming events in the Vitebsk region were touched upon. In particular, on May 16, the Catholic charitable organization "Caritas" will celebrate its 15th anniversary at the regional philharmonic hall (on the eve of Easter, it held events to provide assistance to those in need: meetings in hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, etc.). From May 21 to 23, another international medical conference will be held in the regional center. On June 6, the traditional procession of Corpus Christi will take place through the streets of Vitebsk, for which the bishop expressed special gratitude to the city and regional authorities. July 4 is the solemnity of Our Lady of Budslau. Thousands of pilgrims from different parts of the Dvina region arrive there annually. On July 29, a meeting of the diocese's youth will take place, which has also become traditional. Young men and women at such spiritual meetings get a good opportunity to strengthen their community faith. On August 8, the solemnity of the blessed martyrs-priests Lyashchevich and Kashira, who were burned by the fascists along with the villagers during World War II, will take place in Rositsa. And on August 22, believers from all over Belarus will visit Braslav to honor the miraculous icon of Our Lady, the Mistress of Lakes.
In addition to the aforementioned events, many regional-level events are planned. Bishop Oleg himself intends to visit as many parishes as possible with pastoral visits to administer the sacrament of confirmation to the faithful.
In connection with recent world events, the head of the diocese was asked about interaction with other religious communities, particularly with Muslim communities. He recalled that Pope Francis expresses concern about recent acts of terror and meets with representatives of various faiths. As for the Vitebsk region and Belarus in general, we, thank God, do not have such conflicts. Moreover, families whose members belong to different denominations and respect each other's feelings are found everywhere. We believe that the Easter holiday will also be another occasion to strengthen religious peace and tranquility in our tolerant land.
Ales Byńkoŭ, "Vitebskiye Vesti"