Our Lady of Tarnopol (Ternopil)

Our Lady of Tarnopol (Ternopil), pray for us

Tarnopol (current name: Тернопіль, Ternopil) – it is a town built in 1540 by Polish hetman Jan Amor Tarnowski. The town is at the Seret river.

The church under the invocation of Saint Vincent of Ferrara was built in Tarnopol in years: 1749-1779. The founder of the church was Polish hetman Józef Potocki. The church was built for the Dominicans who cared for this church.

Since 1879 the Saint Vincent church became a parish church for the citizens of Tarnopol.

The painting of Our Lady of Tarnopol was painted in the mid of XVIII century for the Saint Vincent of Ferrara church in Tarnopol.

In 1838 the first May services started in Poland in front of the painting of Our Lady of Tarnopol. In May the painting was placed in the main altar.

In Polish catholic tradition, during May services the Catholics sing Litany of the Holy Mother and they sing also Marian songs. In the villages, the Catholics pray at the small chapels or at the Crosses if the church is too far for them.

On 29 September 1930 Pope Pius XI gave 300 days of indulgence for saying invocation: "Our Lady of Tarnopol, pray for us!"

Now, the painting of Our Lady of Tarnopol is placed in the Dominicans’ church in Poznan, Poland, in the Chapel of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Saint Vincent church of Ferrara is now in Ukraine and the church serves as the cathedral church for the Greek-Catholics. Current invocation of this church is: Immaculate Conception of the Holy Mother.

The Saint Patron of Tarnopol is Saint Thecla.