Berdychiv Carmelite Monastery

Monastery of Discalced Carmelites

Монастир кармелітів босих
Location within Zhytomyr Oblast Berdychiv Carmelite Monastery (Ukraine)
Monastery information
Order	Discalced Carmelites
Denomination	Latin Church
Established	1630
Diocese	Roman Catholic Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr
People
Founder(s)	Janusz Tyszkiewicz Łohojski
Architecture
Heritage designation	105
Style	Baroque
Completion date	1842
Site
Location	Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast
Country	Ukraine
Coordinates	49°53′50″N 28°34′28″E

The Berdychiv Carmelite Monastery, formally known as the Monastery of Discalced Carmelites (Ukrainian: Монастир кармелітів босих, romanized: Monastyr karmelitiv bosykh; Polish: Klasztor warowny Karmelitów Bosych) is a Discalced Carmelite monastery in the city of Berdychiv, Ukraine.

History

The Berdychiv Carmelite Monastery began construction in 1634, four years after voivode of Kiev Janusz Tyszkiewicz Łohojski gave a Berdychiv fortress to the Carmelites. It eventually finished construction in 1642. The building was destroyed during the Khmelnytsky Uprising, but later rebuilt. The monastery became known for its icon, Our Lady of Berdyczow, which was given golden crowns by Pope Benedict XIV on 16 July 1756. The icon became an object of pilgrimage for Polish Catholics, and the monastery also began printing and education programmes during the 18th century.

Following the partitions of Poland, Berdychiv became part of the Russian Empire, and the monastery's printing and educational programmes were forced to close. The crowns of the icon were stolen, though it was crowned again by Pope Pius IX in 1854. The monastery was later taken over by the Russian government, and would only be restored shortly after the Russian Revolution. The monastery briefly resumed activities, but was soon taken over by the Soviet government after the only monk at the monastery died in 1926. In 1941, shortly before Operation Barbarossa, Our Lady of Berdyczow was destroyed in a fire, along with much of the rest of the monastery.

The monastery was returned to the Roman Catholic Church in 1991, following the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. Our Lady of Berdyczow was restored, and once again crowned by Pope John Paul II in 1998. The monastery continues to attract thousands of pilgrims yearly, both among Catholics and followers of Eastern Orthodoxy. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, head of the Discalced Carmelites Miguel Márquez Calle celebrated Mass at the monastery.