The Belynich Icon of the Mother of God

Commemorated on April 12

The Belynich Icon of the Mother of God initially was situated in one of the Orthodox churches of the Mogilevsk district. After the emergence of the Unia (1596) the icon passed over to the Catholics and was set up in a church of the Belynich Catholic monastery, founded in 1622-1624 by the hetman of Great Lithuania, Lev Sapega, on the banks of the River Druta, 45 versts from Mogilev. The icon was venerated both by Catholics and by Orthodox. In 1832 the monastery was dissolved, and the Catholic church became a parish church.
In 1876 it was given over to the Orthodox with a restoral of the monastery. On 12 April of that year in this temple was made a first Divine liturgy at the altar-table consecrated by an Orthodox bishop, in honour of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God. The Belynich Icon of the Mother of God is something regarded holy in-common through the Christian world.

The Belynich Icon
of the Mother of God