Polish pilgrimage season opens
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk
26.07.2017 12:16
A group of 50 pilgrims have left Pustkowo in north-western Poland on their way to the famous Black Madonna shrine in Częstochowa.
Photo: MartinStr/pixabay.com/CC0 Public Domain
They are to be joined by over 400 people from surrounding areas, and aim to cover a distance of 620 kilometres in 20 days.
The tradition of annual pilgrimages to the Black Madonna shrine in southern Poland goes back to the 15th century.
The Warsaw pilgrimage started in 1711. Most of the groups arrive in Częstochowa on 15 August, the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary.
Last year, the Częstochowa shrine was visited by 4.5 million pilgrims and tourists from 82 countries.
The Black Madonna is considered Poland’s most important icon. A small painting of the Virgin Mary on a wooden panel, it has hung in the Pauline monastery in Częstochowa since 1384.
It is venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians from across the world.
(mk/pk)