The pilgrimage of Latin Tradition draws from the conventional spirituality of the Church, based on its centuries-old liturgical and ascetic tradition. It cultivates conventional forms of Catholic piety, especially the love of conventional liturgy, as well as conventional prayers and singing... There are besides facilities specified as shower or morning espresso! – says Wojciech Wednesday, Head of the Pilgrimage of Latin Tradition, in a conversation with Marta Dybińska.
Mr. Wojciech, for the thirtyth time, you will go before the throne of the Jasna Góra Lady. What moods accompany pilgrims a fewer days before their departure?
Yes, it is simply a large event for us – the Jubilee pilgrimage. This year, under the motto VOLO DEUM VIDERE, the Polish-wide hiking pilgrimage of Latin Tradition departs from Warsaw on August 6 to Jasna Góra. We are full of trust and joy, and at the same time grateful for all pilgrimage, for all day, for all Holy Mass, for all pilgrim, for all conversion or confirmation in the faith. We want the Thanksgiving Te Deum, sung for the thirtyth time, to sound with 3 1000 voices of pilgrims entering Jasna Góra!
Your pilgrimage is unique in many ways. erstwhile upon a time, pilgrims could have dreamed of specified conditions as they were in your home...
It's true. Forms of pilgrimage are changing, not only religiously or culturally, but besides organizationally. 1 could say that modernity in the home and homestead has arrived. Many years ago, washing in a bowl or a river or utilizing the celebrated was obvious. Now it's hard to imagine. Pilgrimage is accompanied by mobile toilets and washbasins, available at stops and nights. However, showers with hot moving water are a hit on the Pilgrimage of Latin Tradition. We supply the anticipation of utilizing mobile showers in the accommodation. They are available to everyone throughout their stay at the accommodation: from arrival in the evening until departure in the morning. We supply the pilgrims with comfortable conditions, providing 2 shower trailers (separate for masters and ladies) equipped with 10 shower cabins each. A larger number of showers is especially crucial to guarantee that the usage of them is efficient, due to the fact that this facilitates recovery after the hardships of the full pilgrimage day, alternatively of further expanding the penitence of the pilgrimage.
After the shower, surely many pilgrims return their strength and could decision on... What else distinguishes your pilgrimage?
The Company, as erstwhile called a pilgrimage, comes from Latin companio - A bread-eater. So sharing food means unity, community, common trust. In our pilgrimage there is simply a common table from the beginning, thanks to which morning and evening meals (in the form of a buffet) are eaten together, at 1 table, and pilgrims form a unique community of the table, giving chance for common kindness and acquaintance.
And of course it's morning espresso! We have a coffee maker, and coffee is donated by 1 of our pilgrims Vladimir Ziółkowski, the owner of a coffee smoke shop. There is besides something sweet for coffee from our another pilgrim Sławomir Gromulski, who owns a conventional bakery and bakery.
What is simply a challenge for you as organizers?
I would not like to discuss the organizational issues of specified a immense undertaking. We have many years of experience, so now nothing scares us. The aim is to supply the pilgrims with optimal conditions for prayer, for contemplation, so that they can focus on the most crucial things, and not gotta think about what to eat, where to wash, etc. All the facilities are meant to service this purpose.
What is the day of the life of a pilgrim? You have conferences, you refuse the Rosary?
The most crucial point of each day of the pilgrimage is the Holy Mass in the classical Roman ritual, celebrated in Latin according to the erstwhile Roman Mass.
The pilgrimage of Latin Tradition draws from the conventional spirituality of the Church, based on its centuries-old liturgical and ascetic tradition. It cultivates conventional forms of Catholic piety, in peculiar the love of conventional liturgy, as well as conventional prayers and chants – ordained centuries-old Catholic liturgical, Eucharistic, Marian songs, not only beautiful due to its melodies, but besides rich in informative content, and dignified Gregorian singing, which, as the Fathers of the Vatican Council II emphasize, takes precedence over another types of singing. This is how we want to follow the principle: Lex orandi — lex credendi. The bond with the Catholic Church is besides expressed through prayer in Latin, which is the authoritative language of the Church, and whose cognition in Poland, unfortunately, is disappearing.
Our pilgrimage is the proclamation of the glory of God through repentance, mortification, and prayer. We scope to the rich treasure of the tradition of the Church to extract from it the treasures of reflection and meditation prayer; we focus on psalms, sing all day Vespers according to the conventional brazier (5 psalms) and a set (3 psalms).
Something beautiful...
We go to the woman of Jasna Góra, praying at the rosary, saying traditionally 3 parts all day, praising Her Immaculate Conception in the Hours, to Her honor singing the Loretian litany, along with Her accompanying the boy in the Way of the Cross, offering Her in the Jasna Góra Appeal. We are besides the only pilgrimage that sings Litania to All Saints all day and penitence.
In our pilgrimage there is simply a place for people who decide on a unique form of pilgrimage of penance in which there is simply a formation program based on conventional spirituality and Catholic piety, expressed in a peculiar way in connection with the Holy Mass in the classical Roman life, the alleged Trident Mass.
The pilgrimage is attended for various reasons... Sometimes we want to deepen our faith, due to the fact that uncertainty can arise at any age...
Of course, there is besides a place for those seeking silence, wanting to deepen their spiritual and intellectual formation. A conference on doctrinal issues, bringing together the Church’s integral teaching, addressing current problems, threats to the Church, household and Homeland, can be heard on the farm trail.
Are there only penance elements on your pilgrimage?
In the evening there is fundamentally a set, but there are besides concerts, due to the fact that many musicians, playing and singing are always active in the pilgrimage. These are artists representing different executive styles from polyphony, through opera, to folk singing, contemporary singing. In the memory of pilgrims remains the beautiful performance of Antonina Krzysztoń, who has pilgrimaged with us respective times, singing besides passionate songs during the Cross Road. 30 years ago, musicians from the Chili My band, with Jack Wąsowski at the head, were besides the guitar virtuoso Adam Herda. For many years, large musicians Tomasz Dąbrowski, Zbigniew Siekierzyński and Marcin Szczeciłowski were liable for singing. Now their children, it can be said that the next generation of musicians pilgrims, takes over the baton of their parents. 1 of the youngest is Jan Siekierzyński, little than eighteen years old, guest vocalist at the Polish Royal Opera, the Warsaw Chamber Opera and the National Philharmonic. This year we are besides expecting Adam Shabbat, a vocalist whose Wake up for the morning prayers for respective years has awakened pilgrims. For years the pilgrimage has been attended by a very talented vocalist Adam Rempała, who – like Jan Kiepura started his career, singing outdoor concerts – sings evening concerts for us, during which we can hear beautiful songs, pearls of baroque music.
So the Lord tells of the pilgrimage that it would not be amazing if 1 of the readers wanted to join it. Is that a possibility?
Of course. We invitation you for a part of the pilgrimage. If individual couldn't do it all, at least for Saturday and Sunday to feel her climate. We especially invitation you for the last day, for a joint entrance to Jasna Góra and the Holy Mass in Jasna Góra Basilica at 7:00 p.m. We supply transport for volunteers. You can submit yourself through a transcript on website Pilgrimage of Latin Tradition.
On the website is besides the number of our hotline, where you can find out about the details and ways to get to the pilgrimage. We can be recognized from a distance by pilgrims carrying the proponents, many flags and banners.
How many miles do you travel?
We pilgrimage along the way of the venerable shrines of Mazovia and central Poland. This gives us the grace to visit beautiful temples. We halt on the way for prayer in beautiful basilicas and many passing churches. This creates an chance for the individual frequent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and for the cognition and celebration of Our woman in the richness of her images and titles. This sometimes involves a fewer miles more. We undertake a labour in the conviction that this additional effort can be offered to God, the pilgrimage in this dimension is not only penniful but besides rewarding.
Each day you will be able to go from 4 to 6 stages each of respective kilometres. The dimension of individual stages ranges from 4 km (the shortest) to 9 km (the longest). This means that during the pilgrimage day we cross 28 to 37 km. In the vast majority, the pilgrimage way leads through forest and field roads, which has a affirmative impact on the comfort of the march. Nevertheless, there are moments (and even the full stages) erstwhile you walk in asphalt.
What happens to pilgrims who have blisters or feel less?
Of course, the pilgrimage is accompanied by an ambulance and a mobile medical point, where you can get the essential help, both at stops and in a larger scope at nights.
Pilgrims who cannot proceed their march due to weakness or another kind of infirmity may usage the ambulance or another pilgrimage transport, which brings the infirm pilgrims to the nearest remainder or straight to the accommodation.
In this situation pilgrims, after appropriate rest, regeneration, bathing and recovery, undertake to service in the back of the pilgrimage, performing various essential services, e.g. helping in the kitchen. These pilgrims may be accompanied by the words of a celebrated song: At the back behind the line of roofers, Intendentura, various dead people, cook soup, black coffee – and so they fight for the cause, hey!
How do the people you meet on the tour respond to you?
Different. From cordial greetings, by indifference, to the surprise of wanting individual else. Some, proceeding Latin chants or prayers, think it is simply a abroad pilgrimage. possibly they think they're any refugees from Rome. Others, seeing our props and flags, tell us that Grunwald is not that way. Unfortunately, we besides meet with harassments or any kind of aggression. We have a cleaning service that professionally responds and promptly solves specified incidents. Fortunately, Polish hospitality reigns and mostly pilgrims are well received.
This year's XXX pilgrimage. At what age is the youngest pilgrim, and how old is the oldest?
The records are inactive on, so we'll see about that. Last year's youngest was the two-month-old Rose, and the oldest 84-year-old Maria, who answered the question of age that she was 16... to a hundred. 1 can say that there are pilgrims of all ages, actually from all state.
How will you celebrate this year's XXX pilgrimage?
For the past year we have prepared for the Jubilee through monthly prayer and formation meetings. The celebration of the Holy Mass in Jasna Góra Basilica will be crowned at the end of the pilgrimage. On the another hand, at the end of the day, we will want to release a commemorative album, organize a solemn gathering of pilgrims who have participated in the pilgrimage for years, meet at the caroling and elegant conventional ball.
Can I send you intentions? How do we do that?
By email: pilgrimage@gmail.com. You can besides volunteer as a spiritual pilgrim, joining with the pilgrims during the prayers prayed during the pilgrimage, participating spiritually in the pilgrimage.
Taking advantage of the occasion erstwhile again, we invitation everyone to undertake pilgrimage of effort and joint pilgrimage in the Jubilee of XXX nationwide pilgrimage of Latin Tradition from Warsaw to Jasna Góra. We encourage those who cannot pilgrimage to support the pilgrimage in .
Thank you for talking to me.
