A Christian is a homo viator, one who is always on the way. Our whole life is a great pilgrimage, we are on our way to the Father’s house. As the Church, we are the pilgrim people, said Bishop Artur G. Miziński, Secretary General of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, during a press conference on the pilgrimages #PolskaPielgrzymuje (Poland on Pilgrimage), which took place on July 11 at the Secretariat of the Polish Bishops’ Conference.
“This year we set out on a pilgrim route with the motto ‘Our Lady of Jasna Góra Mother of life’, praying for the beatification of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and as thanksgiving for the 40th anniversary of the first pilgrimage of John Paul II to Poland – said Fr. Marek Tomczyk OSPPE, head of the 308th Warsaw Pilgrimage. Fr. Tomczyk also reminded that in 2018, 4.3 million pilgrims from over 80 countries visited Jasna Góra. About 834,000 Poles took part in 200 nationwide pilgrimages to this Marian sanctuary.
About 7 million Poles visit places of worship every year. 32% of Poles declare that they participated in a pilgrimage at least once during their lives. There are over 500 sanctuaries in Poland. The most popular pilgrimage places have been for years Jasna Góra (69% of all pilgrims) and Licheń.
