Home » News » Madona pilgrims go to Aglona / Article / LSM.lv

Madona pilgrims go to Aglona / Article / LSM.lv

From various parts of the world to Aglona, ​​where the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be celebrated next weekend, groups of pilgrims are going, this year, far less than in previous years. Also the very feast of the Basilica of Aglona territory will be organized, taking precautionary measures and abandoning a number of common things. How do the pilgrims themselves feel in this situation? –

With a holy moment in the Madona Catholic Church, without fear of blisters, scorching sun or rain, the Madonians also begin their pilgrimage to Aglona. And although this year will be different due to limitations, they are confident that the amount of blessings will not change.

“On a pilgrimage, the route really leads through such sparsely populated areas, more through forests and meadows, and small dirt roads. In this way, we will not have the opportunity to meet the sick on the way to Aglona, ​​”said Maris Ozoliņš, Dean of the Roman Catholic Church in Madona.

In the territory of Aglona Basilica, the flow of people will be controlled by invitations received in advance. From 11 to 13 August, 400 people will be allowed to stay in the territory at the same time, and on 14 and 15 August, up to three thousand people will be allowed to stay.

“The invitations were given to us by the church and, of course, first of all, these invitations will be available to pilgrims who walk, who will, and those who are left will be distributed in the church. The activity after invitations is not so great, many people also want to observe this distancing, ”admitted Māris Ozoliņš.

Architect Jānis Liepiņš, who went on a pilgrimage with his family, admitted that “the most important thing is not what awaits us in the end, but this path itself. Such a renunciation of everyday comfort, an opportunity to rethink where I am and for whom I was created. ”

Ramona Zariņa, who is on a pilgrimage for the tenth time, said that she “just needs it, it gives some energy for next year. A lot of people make some kind of report from the first of January – what year it was or what they promise, but for me it is always a pilgrimage and a time of pilgrimage. ”

There will be no trade or catering services in the territory of the sanctuary, but the pilgrims are not worried about it, because, as always, the Madonians have their own cook.

Just like the “Radio Marija Latvija” group, which is measuring the road from Cēsis this year, the places where broadcasting has started.

“We went to Aglona to allow the people who listen to us to experience the feeling of pilgrimage, because during the day we also have material that we play later in the day or the next day, allowing listeners to experience prayers, interviews, conversations, various reports, ”Said Maris Veliks, the voice of Radio Marija Latvija.

The group also had its own test in connection with Covid-19, because after contact with a possible patient, the priest accompanying the group had to stay in isolation at home before the pilgrimage.

“Of course, talking about accommodation was a bigger challenge because of all this, because not everyone is ready to receive, people are afraid. We are one household at the moment. We also don’t walk anywhere in the shops, we are really one hermetically sealed group, ”said Anda Dubra, the head of the pilgrim group of Radio Marija Latvija.

However, that the pilgrims emphasize, safety is not forgotten – disinfectants, distance from strangers, face masks as needed and God’s protection from heaven.

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