A Mission of Peace to Russia – You Should Know What Occurred in Red Square on October 17, 1992

The Feast Day of St. Margaret Mary, 1992, found me FAR from the parish community of St. Margaret Mary in Louisville, KY. Instead of preparing for the dedication of our new church building, I was preparing for a march through Red Square, dedicating a broken country to Jesus Christ, King of All Nations and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

There were 940 pilgrims filling two 747’s setting out for Russia after visiting holy sites in France, Portugal, Czechoslovakia and then on to Poland, concluding with a Mass with the Holy Father in Rome. We were to be gone for 19 days. We lost luggage, we waited in long lines, we got crowded and tired, many experienced illness and minor mishaps, one pilgrim died, but we never lost our sense of humor. It would have been better to lose anything other than our sense of humor! And we experienced the most incredible joy and peace imaginable on this momentous pilgrimage of peace.

It was late afternoon when we landed from Prague into Moscow. While in flight I remember thinking that we were now flying in Soviet airspace. A few years before that would have been a chilling thought but not now, October 16, 1992. Now it was a thrilling thought – bring the joy and love of the Gospel of Jesus into Russia. We brought six tons of Russian bibles, rosaries and sacramentals to the people of Russia. When distributed, each item was treated like a precious gem, caressed and kissed lovingly and gratefully.

We traveled with five bishops, 50 priests, the International Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima and many special passengers from around the world. We were loaded onto 20 buses and remained with the same group throughout the three weeks. I was privileged to be on a special bus which included the icon of Jesus King of All Nations and the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as well as dignitaries from around the world. Our trip coincided with the World Youth Congress in Moscow and we had some of those youth with us.

Oct. 16 (Day one in Moscow) – 75 years previously, on that day, St. Maximillian Kolbe prophesied: “One day the cavaliers of Our Lady will carry her statue over the Kremlin and to the heart of Moscow.” Our flight pattern found us over the Kremlin and with us was the Pilgrim Virgin statue of Our Lady of Fatima! We celebrated Mass in the dining room of the Salut Hotel. The waiters, waitresses, busboys, cooks and cleaning staff were in awe and wept as the Holy Mass was being offered by so many priests and 900 reverent pilgrims – the tears, the joy, the hope and they all wore a new rosary around their necks.

Oct. 17 (Day two) – The World Youth Congress was being held one hour away at the Cosmos Hotel. As we passed out rosaries and holy cards, we replenished our stock (and arms) before leaving our hotel. As I walked to the bus on our second trip to the Cosmos, I had my arms filled with rosaries. There were several of us crossing a small section of the parking lot and as a car passed me I continued walking. The driver put his car in reverse and seemed to floor it. As he hit me I felt a wall of protection around me and much to everyone’s shock, I did not even get a scratch, though I thought an observer was going to have a heart attack. Thank you, dear Guardian Angel (and Blessed Mother)!

Oct. 18 (Day three) – The day we had all waited and prepared for. We arrived in Red Square with the walls of the Kremlin looming down at us. But God was in command, here, this day, this place and we knew it. The baptismal rains were pouring down on us. No one was concerned about getting wet, we were already sick and how could a little grace-filled water hurt us now! Nothing could dampen our spirits.

The march began as we prayed at the gazebo where the Russians were rebuilding the Cathedral of Kazan. It had been destroyed by the Communists to prove to the Russian people that God did not exist. 19 buses were accounted for as we waited for the bus with the International Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady to arrive. One of the priests, Fr. John, spotted the statue on the other side of Red Square. The main area had been blocked off and there were Peace Pilgrims on both sides. Only a few local ticket-holders were permitted to visit Lenin’s tomb, but we wanted in! Fr. John tried to reason with the guard who was not interested, so, Father raised his rosary in the air and started reciting a Hail Mary while moving the barricade! The next thing we knew, 900 of us were marching in the forbidden area where Lenin’s mausoleum tomb was opened. Our tour guides were stunned. Like the Israelites passing through the Red Sea, we went forward into Red Square. Dan Lynch, national guardian of the Icon and Image, led the way, carrying a crucifix high in the air. Under the Cross and directly behind came the icon of Jesus and the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Behind them came the Peace Flight Pilgrims, in blue jackets, singing Onward Christian Soldiers and reciting the Rosary. Fr. John went to the senior police officer, who was visibly upset and calmed him down – we were not sure how he did that – assuring him we were just walking through. The guards would not allow those on the other side of the Square to walk through. We thought they were carrying the International Pilgrim Statue, we saw it, yet it was nowhere to be seen. Actually, it hadn’t even arrived – what did we see?! The group on that side of the Square was able to break through the barricade and join us. Dan saw a high concrete platform and stood on top with the crucifix, icon and Missionary Image. He planted the Cross and claimed it for Christ. He said, “From here the fire of Divine Love will spread, through the conversion of Russia to the entire world so that Christ the King will be recognized on earth through the mediation of His Holy Mother, Our Lady of Fatima, whom we have brought here to be crowned.” Christ’s victory was proclaimed in Red Square. A pilgrim had brought an 18-inch statue of Our Lady of Fatima. John Haffert, former president of the Blue Army, crowned that statue on that spot. We were to discover later that the platform they stood on was the one used by the czars to proclaim their edicts. Our Lady was crowned at the exact moment of the changing of the guard directly across from us at the Kremlin. We all cheered and prayed for Russia “where the light of Christ was already rolling back the darkness” and then proceeded to the Youth Congress.

The youth returned to Red Square that night with the International Pilgrim Statue. There were seven busloads of young people and one busload of us adults, six bishops, including the Bishop of Moscow, Bishop Paolo Hnilica, and several priests. It was still pouring rain. We stood outside the barriers singing and praising Jesus. While we did the lights of the Kremlin were turned on, lighting up Red Square, and the barriers were once again moved back. This time the soldiers joined us, visibly moved, pulling rosaries out of their pockets and signing the Ave’s between decades. We headed right for Lenin’s tomb. After the third decade of the Glorious Mysteries the midnight bells rang and Bishop Hnilica said we should crown the statue “now”. We lifted Our Lady high above the crowd. A Russian teenager, a baptized Roman Catholic for only a week and a half, crowned Our Lady as Queen of Russia and the World! All the youth cheered as we proclaimed her victory in Red Square. When we began the Salve Regina the sky turned pink and the rain in Red Square stopped. Bishop Hnilica consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart. Genuinely moved, he added, “At this moment we see Mary’s triumph complete. There is no more communism. There is no more Soviet Union, and here publicly before Lenin’s tomb, we acknowledge Her Queenship with this coronation.”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED we returned to the Salut Hotel. It was truly the greatest privilege of my life to be present on such an historical day. Her Triumph had begun.

 (Originally written for a parish newsletter, celebrating the opening of a new church building at my parish, in Louisville, KY. Thanks to my friend and fellow pilgrim, Larry Rodarte, wherever he is, for some of the content ideas.)