Great to see an increase in pilgrimages. What these figures do not show is the differences in lengths of journeys by pilgrims. The trip to Santiago de Compostela might start from many places. The longest route I know is from Riga in Latvia, most of the width of Europe. That is some serious walking.
40 miles east of Berlin, one route from Eastern Europe crosses the Oder at Frankfurt on Oder. There is an information board about the Camino beside the bridge. In/ Saxony another route through Bautzen is marked on the public street map by a sequence of scallop shells, the symbol of St James.
My many pilgrimages to Lourdes have all been by air or special bus. But that is unavoidable when you are taking the disabled and dying.
I've been there, it was quite an experience (and at that time an opportunity to donate Western currency to a Solidarity priest). When combined with a trip to Auschwitz, well, that was a very sobering time in my life.
Beautiful shrine! It's a goal of mine to make it there someday. Thank you for sharing these hopeful statistics. People need God! Of course, we can encounter Him anywhere, but making a pilgrimage can be an deeply moving and life-changing experience. Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us!
Great to see an increase in pilgrimages. What these figures do not show is the differences in lengths of journeys by pilgrims. The trip to Santiago de Compostela might start from many places. The longest route I know is from Riga in Latvia, most of the width of Europe. That is some serious walking.
40 miles east of Berlin, one route from Eastern Europe crosses the Oder at Frankfurt on Oder. There is an information board about the Camino beside the bridge. In/ Saxony another route through Bautzen is marked on the public street map by a sequence of scallop shells, the symbol of St James.
My many pilgrimages to Lourdes have all been by air or special bus. But that is unavoidable when you are taking the disabled and dying.
I've been there, it was quite an experience (and at that time an opportunity to donate Western currency to a Solidarity priest). When combined with a trip to Auschwitz, well, that was a very sobering time in my life.
Beautiful shrine! It's a goal of mine to make it there someday. Thank you for sharing these hopeful statistics. People need God! Of course, we can encounter Him anywhere, but making a pilgrimage can be an deeply moving and life-changing experience. Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us!