April 4, 2014

Replica of icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa to tour Indianapolis

A copy of the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland will be transported to four churches and two abortion centers in Indianapolis as part of a campaign to promote the culture of life. (Submitted photo)

A copy of the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland will be transported to four churches and two abortion centers in Indianapolis as part of a campaign to promote the culture of life. (Submitted photo)

Criterion staff report

A replica of the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa from the Monastery of Jasna Góra in Poland, also known as the Black Madonna, will be in Indianapolis from April 23 to April 25 as part of a worldwide pilgrimage in defense of life.

During the worldwide tour, the image is being used to encourage prayer for Mary’s help in the defense of the unborn and her intercession for the protection of the family and all human life.

The three-day event also brings together the Roman Catholic Church, the Byzantine Catholic Church and the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church united under the mantle the Mother of God, the Theotokos, in defense of life.

The icon, a replica of the original one housed in the Monastery of Jasna Góra in Poland, was blessed by the archbishop of Czestochowa. The archbishop of Kracow also made a special act of entrustment to Our Lady of Czestochowa for the defense of life and the family.

The global tour of the replica of the famed icon started on June 14, 2012, in Vladivostok, Russia. To date, the icon has traveled more than 40,000 miles and visited 25 countries.

Father Peter West of Human Life International, the organization sponsoring the tour in North America, will speak about the history of the icon and the purpose of the world tour at the replica’s various stops in Indianapolis.

The schedule of the tour is as follows:

April 23

  • 7 p.m.—Welcome of the icon and celebration of the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos (Mother of God) at St. Athanasius the Great Byzantine Catholic Church, 1117 S. Blaine Ave., Indianapolis
  • 8 p.m.-midnight—Church will be open for prayer and meditation

April 24

  • 9 a.m.—Divine Liturgy (Mass) at St. Athanasius the Great Byzantine Catholic Church
  • 10:30 a.m.-noon—Clinic for Women abortion center, 3607 W. 16th St. in Indianapolis (on the right-of-way in front of the center)
  • 2-3 p.m.—Planned Parenthood, 8590 Georgetown Road in Indianapolis (on the right-of-way in front of the building)
  • 4-5 p.m.—Prayer and meditation at St. Luke the Evangelist Church, 7575 Holliday Drive, E. in Indianapolis
  • 5:30 p.m.—Mass in the chapel at St. Luke the Evangelist Church
  • 7 p.m.—Return to St. Athanasius the Great Byzantine Catholic Church, 1117 S. Blaine Ave., for prayer service for the victims of abortion

April 25

  • 9 a.m.—Divine Liturgy (Mass) at St. Athanasius the Great Byzantine Catholic Church
  • 10:30-11:30 a.m.—Prayer and meditation at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, 1347 N. Meridian St. in Indianapolis
  • 11:45 a.m.—Procession to Joy of All Who Sorrow Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church, 1516 N. Delaware St. in Indianapolis
  • 12:15 p.m.—Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos (Mother of God) Joy of All Who Sorrow Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church
  • 5:15 p.m.—Vespers at Joy of All Who Sorrow Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church

(For more information, contact Eric Slaughter at 317-408-0528 or e-mail abbafather.cuf@gmail.com. For info about the icon’s worldwide journey, log on to www.fromoceantoocean.org.) †

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