Russia: An icon of the Virgin Mary goes into space

[Dawn Marie]

Russia: An icon of the Virgin Mary goes into space

The International Space Station

A new crew has arrived at Moscow’s space station. The whole world can now see the image of Our Lady of Kazan which had been entrusted to Patriarch Kyrill

vatican insider staff
rome

 

 

Spiritual mission accomplished. Last March, the image of Our Lady of Kazan, which is one of the most venerated Russian Orthodox icons, was donated by the Patriarch of Moscow, Kyrill, to the then director of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, Anatoly Perminov. “I hope that the icon will be taken on board the space shuttle that will be launched to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the first man in space,” the religious leader said, referring to the Soyuz TMA-24 space flight. Shortly afterwards, on 30 March, the shuttle would fly to the International Space Station (ISS), conducted by the mythical Russian cosmonaut and pilot, Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin. The Patriarch made mention of the astronauts, saying: “As well as performing their complex and important duties, they will also embark on a spiritual mission with the icon.”

 

As reported by the AsiaNews agency, on 16 November, while the world was celebrating the arrival of a new crew aboard the ISS and as the astronauts spoke about their experiences, two images were clearly displayed behind them: one of the first man to enter into Space, the Russian cosmonaut, Gagarin, and one of Our Lady of Kazan.

 

But this is not the first time an icon of the Virgin Mary travels into Space. In 2009, the image of Our Lady of the Sign was taken on board the Soyuz TMA-16 space shuttle which was launched to the ISS.

 

People followed the Soyuz TMA-22 mission, completed last 16 November, with their hearts in their mouths. It was the first time since a crewed space shuttle was launched since the end of August, when a cargo rocket crashed in Siberia. Before take off, the shuttle was blessed by an Orthodox priest at the Baiknour Cosmodrome (Kazakhstan). The success of this latest mission was good news for Soyuz, which became the only means of reaching the ISS, after NASA withdrew its shuttles. It is also good news for the Russian space sector which has recently been plagued by a series of accidents. The crew aboard the ISS currently includes three Russian cosmonauts, two American astronauts and one Japanese astronaut.

 

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[Cathleen]

There is an astronaut from our local area who came back this past spring to his hometown to give a talk on his adventures in space aboard the Space Station, complete with a photo slide show.  In one of the photos, taken with a Russian cosmonaut in the foreground, we  clearly saw a large, gold, Russian-style crucifix on the wall above some instrument panels.  I thought at the time, "at least a glimmer of hope."  All those rosaries, prayers and sacrifices have to be doing something and are surely not wasted.  We have to trust and hope in God. 

Our Lady of Kazan is a very beloved icon of the Russian people, and I think in my heart that she will be the one to lead them back to the truth as she promised at Fatima.

Most Holy Mother of God, pray for us all!

[Alan]

Correct me if I'm way off but first Russia outlaws abortion, then they want all their women to bless themselves with the relic of Our Lady for fertility sake now they send an icon of the Holy Virgin Mary into space.  It appears that Russia is coming to the realization that the ways of communism have cost them the life of their country and they are scrambling to get back to God before they are wiped out of exsistance.

At the rate they are going (which is good that they are at least trying to turn back to God) they may be the ones to tell the Pope to consecrate their country to the Immaculate Heart.

I remember in an interview Bp. Willamson gave a few years back where he says that these things happening in Russia may be likened to how a sinner starts to come back before they are totally converted.  Something like the softening of the ground which is necessary to take place in Russia for it to be converted after the consecration takes place.

This is encouraging.

[Dawn Marie]

[Alan]

The words of Our Lady of fatima come to mind after I looked at this video

"Annihilation of nations"

[Dawn Marie]

bump

[Dawn Marie]

ok I did not know that.  I thought a space station was on the moon.  What is it then?