The parish in Kostomloty (south of Terespol, close to the River Bug) was founded in 1631 after the Union of Brest. The historic icon of the patron of the church also originated in this year, the holy martyr Nikita, which was the reason for the construction of this Uniate church.

In the year 1875, at the time of the Tsars, all the Uniates became members of the Orthodox community but in 1927 the Uniate parish in Kostomloty was reborn. In the 1960’s only in Kostomloty was there a functioning Neo-Uniate parish. This site became a pilgrimage destination for Catholics of the Byzantine-Slavic religious community. The local Neo-Uniate community is not that large, it has only about 120 members.

The Orthodox Church of St. Nikita has a valuable iconostasis dating back to the time of the construction of the temple. Its interior is decorated with beautiful and stylish, but contemporary, polychrome. Currently the church is known as the Shrine of the Podlaskie Uniates. In 1998 some relics of the Blessed Martyr Uniates were brought here from Pratulin. Next to the shrine is an Ecumenical Centre which holds retreats for different branches of Christianity.

Kostomloty Parish (woj. Lubelskie)

www.kostomloty.com