Summer in Poland is the time of pilgrimages on foot to the most famous Sanctuary of Our Lady in Częstochowa. A pilgrimage is a symbol of the way of faith every Christian has to take during his or her lifetime, in the footsteps of our Savior Jesus Christ. A pilgrimage is a very special kind of spiritual retreat, when pilgrims unite their prayers with their physical efforts, struggling to overcome their weaknesses and to face reality.
Pilgrimages on foot to the Queen of Poland Sanctuary
Pilgrimages on foot to the Queen of Poland Sanctuary
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As John Paul II said, it is a form of an active ascesis and atonement for human weaknesses and it expresses continuous vigilance of a person, preparing his or her heart to the spiritual transformation (see Incarnationis Mysterium). A pilgrimage on foot may last from few days to few weeks, depending on where it starts from. Some of the pilgrims face the distance of 600 km.
There are several Salvatorian groups of the pilgrims on foot going to Częstochowa:
• Group 8 from Wrocław (among participants are those involved in the RMS / Salvatorian Youth Movement/); for more details and photographs go to www.rms.salwatorianie.pl
• The Green Group from Warsaw (part of the Warsaw Archdiocese Academic Pilgrimage) www.zielona.sds.pl
• The Redemptor-Salvator Group from Elbląg
• The White Group from Bielsko-Biała.