zarvanytsia 1

The history of the village and the icon... 

dates back to the 13th century. 

In 1240, a monk fled the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, which was devastated by a Mongol invasion, and stopped in a secluded valley to drink water from a spring and pray to the Blessed Virgin. 

Having done so, and exhausted by the long travel, he fell asleep and saw the Mother of God. After awakening completely rejuvenated, he found the icon, and decided to stay there, and build a chapel by the spring, to house the icon. 

News of the miraculous icon spread among the local population, and reached the - gravely sick - duke of Terebovlia Vasylko, brother of the only Ukrainian king Danylo of Halych. The duke ordered the icon to be brought to him. But when the monk refused, he himself traveled to Zarvanytsia, and prayed in front of the icon, and was cured. 

Out of gratitude... 

he founded a church ánd monastery there.

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The first written mention of the settlement... 

dates to 1458. 

Ruins of fortifications from around that time... 

can still be found in the village. 

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During the years 1662-1688... 

the village was plundered by Turks. 

And the church was burned down. 

But the icon was saved... 

and placed in a newly built church. 

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In 1740... 

another icon, of the Crucified Christ... 

was also placed in Zarvaytisa, and two years later crowned by Metropolitan Athanasius Sheptytsky.

In 1754 the fourth church, this time out of stone, was built to replace a wooden one which was destroyed in a fire. The site of the wooden church is marked by a stone cross. This church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity still stands today.

In 1867 Pope Pius IX granted Zarvanytsia the status of a sanctuary, and the icon of the Mother of God was crowned, thanks to the efforts of local priest Fr Porfiriy Mandyczewsky.

In 1916, during World War I, the village and the monastery were badly damaged, but they were rebuilt six years later with the help of Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky who personally visited Zarvanytsia. Joseph Slipyj, the future leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, also frequently visited the shrine.

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