- Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine
- 40 days on the way
- 25,000 kilometres
- 8 time-zones
- more than 30 cities
- more than 200 publications and videos
- dozens of public actions.
On 15 June 2012 an icon of the Mother of God began its pilgrimage from the Pacific Ocean at Vladivostok in Russia to the Atlantic Ocean at Fatima in Portugal. The icon itself is a very beautiful replica of the Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The pilgrimage which has come to be known as Ocean to Ocean is an act of entrustment to Our Blessed Lady of the Civilisation of Life and Love which is now under massive global attack by the Culture of Death.
Ocean to Ocean combines a deeply spiritual pilgrimage with Our Lady with the promotion of the pro-life and pro-family teachings of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. It has received the blessing of high-ranking priests of the Orthodox Church in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Poland. In the West it has the support of many Catholic Bishops and priests and pro-life and pro-family groups.
Over the last 40 days our pilgrimage has crossed the Russian Far East, Siberia, Kazakhstan, the Urals, Central Russia, Volga region, the Ukraine, Belarus and Latvia. A total of 25,000 kilometres across eight time zones! We travelled in a specially-designed car decorated with pro-life logos and slogans. Despite bad weather, off-road driving and sometimes without sleep or any rest, we always got to our destinations. Our car broke down three times, but with God's help, we kept going.
Amongst the over 30 cities visited, the icon of the Mother of God was venerated in Vladivostok,Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Smolensk, Pavlodar, Astana, Polotsk, Lida, Grodno, Brest, Pinsk, Baranovichi, Minsk, Gomel, Sumi, Kiev, Riga, etc. The total population of these cities is about 32 million. However, with over 200 reports on national television stations, radio and the press in more than 10 languages, many more heard our pro-life/pro-family message.
In all of these cities our most important task was to pray for families and the unborn. In addition our team organised a wide variety of pro-life and pro-family activities. We had car-rallies in many cities carrying the icon of Czestochowa with banners and flags flying in support of life and the the natural family.
We conducted much-needed pro-life and pro-family education. We participated in scientific conferences and round-tables and conducted master-classes for pro-life activists. We delivered lectures for students, physicians, educators, government representatives and distributed information material among young people.
We even organised concerts for the protection of the natural family and life.
In each city we were joined and actively supported by more and more people, including well-known priests, politicians, businessmen, singers and movie actors. The pilgrimage attracted widespread international acclaim.
Currently the icon is in Latvia and will continue its progress through Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Switzerland, Spain, England and Scotland, and will be in Portugal at Christmas. However, international interest has been great and we have had invitations to extend the pilgrimage to the United States, Latin America, Africa and Australia. The pilgrimage of Entrustment of the Civilisation of Life and Love to the Mother of God throughout the world is becoming global.
If I may add a few personal words: To me as a Russian, coming from the country which was the first to legalise abortion, it is especially important to promote to the whole world a new call to protect life, motherhood, fatherhood, childhood, and the family.
This has been a very difficult adventure, but for the crowds of people who came to venerate the icon of Our Lady an adventure with perfect spiritual fruits and social consequences.
From Ocean to Ocean is spiritual pro-family/pro-life pilgrimage and campaign. It is our international response to the Culture of Death.
I invite you to join us!
Igor Beloborodov, PhD in sociology, international coordinator, From Ocean to Ocean