Our Lady Queen of Peace of Oziornoe

Marian devotion of Oziornoe (Akmola)

According to the tradition transmitted by the deportees of Catholics (especially Poles, Ukrainians and Germans) in Oziornoe / Ozernoye, in March 1941in the middle of World War II and in a context of extreme hunger, snow suddenly melted around March 25, Annunciation party, forming a seasonal lake of 5 km of ancho y unos 7 m of depth, which appeared full of fish in extraordinary quantity. The faithful interpreted this fact as a response of the Virgin Mary to their insistent prayers, for thanks to those fish they were able to feed and save many lives. This memory has been preserved as a "miracle of the lake and of the fish" attributed to the intercession of the Mother of God, later venerated under the title of Saint Mary / Our Lady Queen of Peace of Oziornoe.

Main data

Origin and history

According to the tradition transmitted by the deportees of Catholics (especially Poles, Ukrainians and Germans) in Oziornoe / Ozernoye, in March 1941in the middle of World War II and in a context of extreme hunger, snow suddenly melted around March 25, Annunciation party, forming a seasonal lake of 5 km of ancho y unos 7 m of depth, which appeared full of fish in extraordinary quantity. The faithful interpreted this fact as a response of the Virgin Mary to their insistent prayers, for thanks to those fish they were able to feed and save many lives. This memory has been preserved as a "miracle of the lake and of the fish" attributed to the intercession of the Mother of God, later venerated under the title of Saint Mary / Our Lady Queen of Peace of Oziornoe.

From the perspective of the documented history, Oziornoe was founded on 1936 by Catholics deported by the Soviet regime, especially from Ukraine. After Kazakhstan's independence, and with the recovery of religious freedom, a new church of greater dimensions was built from 1990, with the authorization of the civil authorities. This parish was given the title of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, name driven by the Dutch priest Nico Hooglandwho also sent a statue of the Virgin from the Netherlands. 11 July 2011the temple was officially declared National shrine of Santa Maria, Queen of Peace, patron of Kazakhstanby the bishops of the country. In this place there have been significant acts of consecration: 2020the bishops consecrated Kazakhstan to the Virgin in this sanctuary, and the 1 May 2022 the new Episcopal Conference of Central Asia has consecrated there all the countries that make up it.

The image and the sanctuary

The invocation is mainly venerated by two types of image:

– Una statue of the Virgin Mary Queen of Peace, placed 1997 on a column or stake of 5 meters high in the area of the seasonal lake. In this representation, the Virgin, in maternal attitude, delivers fish to the faithful, recalling the prodigy of 1941 and its intervention in time of hunger. When the seasonal lake is formed, sometimes the sculpture is literally in the middle of the water, visually reinforcing the link between Mary and the miracle of the fish.

– Una iconographic image most recent, especially in the wake of Pope Francis's visit to Kazakhstan, in which The Virgin holds the Child Jesus and points to a lake full of fish. This image has been used, for example, in medals and devotional material, and in a catechetical way it underlines the miracle of the salvation of the people through Mary's intercession.

The temple where this advocation is venerated is the parish and sanctuary of Our Lady, Queen of Peace of Oziornoelocated in Burabay district, Akmola region, north of Kazakhstan. It is the only Marian Catholic sanctuary in the country and all Central Asiaincluding countries such as Mongolia and Afghanistan. The shrine, of Latin rite, has been developed since the 1990s with a temple of greater dimensions than the old church and several significant spaces for the pilgrimage: area of the lake, statue of the Virgin, and, among others, a “altar de la paz” installed in 2014 as one of the "12 stars" of the crown of the Mother of God, where it is specifically prayed for peace in the world.

A chapel in the form of a yurta (traditional nomadic shop in Central Asia) and a center dedicated to John Paul II to host pilgrims, underlining the inculturation of Marian devotion in Kazakh culture. It is not known that the temple has received the title of minor basilica; what is clearly documented is their recognition as Marian national sanctuary.

Sponsorship and coronation

Our Lady Queen of Peace of Oziornoe is recognized as Patron of Kazakhstan. Various episcopal testimonies and pastoral texts insist that the shrine of Oziornoe is the Marian reference centre of the country and the place where the of the nation and the region to the Virgin. In addition, the bishops point out that it is the only Marian Catholic sanctuary of the country, which reinforces its national character.

As regards a possible canonical coronation (solemn liturgical act, approved by the Holy See, by which a Marian image is crowned), does not contain a documented canonical coronation for the image of Our Lady Queen of Peace of Oziornoe in the sources consulted (ecclesial documentation, Catholic press, chronicles of the sanctuary).

Party and devotion

The available sources do not indicate a Fecha liturgica propia universally established for "Our Lady Queen of Peace of Oziornoe." For example, there is no specific mention in the general Roman calendar or a local date clearly set in the documents consulted. Therefore, is not sure the official date of your party. The memory of the prodigy of the lake concerning Feast of the Annunciation (March 25), the day when, according to local tradition, the thaw and miraculous formation of the fish-filled lake occurred.

The sanctuary has become a place of constant pilgrimageespecially for the Catholics of Kazakhstan and the neighbouring countries of Central Asia. In this dynamic, a great annual youth pilgrimage in August, in the form of youth festivalwhich brings together many pilgrims and has been consolidated as a sign of vitality of faith in the region. From 2014the "altar of peace" present in the sanctuary receives pilgrims throughout the year to pray for peace in the world, inscribing devotion to Mary Queen of Peace of Oziornoe in a clearly universal dimension.

The most characteristic devotional features are:

– Gratitude for the miracle of the lake and the fish, que se recuerda en la iconografía y en la catequesis del santuario. – Prayer for peace, tanto en Kazajistán como en toda Asia Central y en el mundo, en sintonía con el título de “Reina de la Paz”. – Consecrations from the nation and from the region to the Virgin in the sanctuary, especially in 2020 (Kazakhstan) and in 2022 (Episcopal Conference of Central Asia).

Numerical dates of annual pilgrim flow no constan in the sources consulted, but it is clear that the place "soon became a pilgrimage center," with special participation of young and faithful from neighbouring countries.

Link to the Rosary

The specific sources on Oziornoe do not explicitly mention a own and distinctive practice of the Rosary prayer linked exclusively to this advocation (for example, a particular fellowship of the Rosary or a singular indulgence attached to the Rosary in this sanctuary). Therefore, there is no specific documented relationship between this advocation and the Rosary beyond the general practice of Marian prayer.

However, in a Marian shrine of Latin rite dedicated to the Queen of Peacethe Rosary naturally occupies a central place in the spiritual life of the