Our Lady of Peace, the only Marian pilgrimage site in Central Asia, is located in the village of Ozernoy in northern Kazakhstan. This pilgrimage centre has a story of saving many lives.

Father Marius Stavas, the rector of the church, says: During the Second World War, when hunger and famine were spreading all over the world, the people of the village of Ozernoy prayed for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary to end the famine.

On March 25, 1941, the temperature in the area rose abnormally and as a result, the snow melted and formed a lake around the village of Ozernoy.

Along with that, abundant fishes started appearing in the lake. The people of the village were satisfied with the fish they got and saved themselves from starvation.

The lake that appeared after the miracle at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace in Ozernoye, Kazakhstan

After this miracle, the village of Ozernoy became the only Marian church in the Central Asian region, including Mongolia and Afghanistan. A church was built there in 1990 and it became a pilgrimage centre. Young people gather here every year in August to participate in the celebration.

Shrine of Our Lady of Peace in Ozernoye, Kazakhstan.

Also, since 2014 this shrine is one of the 12 peace altars where pilgrims come every day of the year to pray for peace in the world.

The altar of peace

The concept behind the altars is that each is to be one of the 12 stars in the crown of the Mother of God. It was an initiative of the lay community "Regina Della Pace" (Queen of Peace) in Poland. These altars are located in different countries of the world.

During his visit to Kazakhstan, Saint John Paul II made a "spiritual pilgrimage" to this shrine. He prayed silently in front of the faithful.

The medal, designed for Pope Francis' September 13-15 visit to Kazakhstan, features the image of the Virgin holding the infant Jesus and reaching out to a lake full of fish.

The official medal of Pope Francis' apostolic journey to Kazakhstan, Sept. 13–15, 2022