Berdychiv Carmelite Monastery

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The Berdychiv Carmelite Monastery in Berdychiv, Ukraine, is a Discalced Carmelite community of the Latin Church in the Kyiv-Zhytomyr diocese. Construction began in 1634 after Janusz Tyszkiewicz Łohojski donated the Berdychiv fortress to the Carmelites, and it was completed in 1642. The complex was damaged during the Khmelnytsky Uprising but was later rebuilt.

The monastery is best known for the icon of Our Lady of Berdyczow, which was crowned by Pope Benedict XIV in 1756. This made the site an important pilgrimage destination for Polish Catholics. In the 18th century the monastery also carried out printing and education programs.

After the partitions of Poland, Berdychiv became part of the Russian Empire, and the monastery’s activities were restricted. The crowns on the icon were stolen, but it was crowned again by Pope Pius IX in 1854. The monastery later came under Russian government control and was briefly restored after the Russian Revolution, but was soon taken over by the Soviet regime. The last monk died in 1926. In 1941, a fire destroyed Our Lady of Berdyczow along with much of the monastery during World War II.

Following Ukraine’s independence in 1991, the monastery was returned to the Roman Catholic Church. Our Lady of Berdyczow was restored and crowned again by Pope John Paul II in 1998. The site remains a popular pilgrimage destination for Catholics and also draws interest from others.

In 2024, Pope Francis decreed that the sanctuary would be elevated to the status of a minor basilica. The decision was announced in July 2024.