Holy Blood pilgrimage in Walldürn: only 20,000 pilgrims left!
Holy Blood pilgrimage in Walldürn: only 20,000 pilgrims left!
On Sunday, June 15, 2025, the starting signal for the Holy Blood pilgrimage was given in Walldürn, which will continue until July 13th. This traditional pilgrimage attracts believers year after year, even if the number of participants has decreased in recent years. A period of 20 to 30 years ago, around 100,000 believers made a pilgrimage to the well-known Holy Blood Shrine in the city's basilica. This year the pilgrimage management hopes for around 20,000 visitors, a goal that appears ambitious after the drastic declines during the Corona pandemic.
The central shrine, which contains an altar towel, which was considered miracle in 1330, is particularly impressive. The blood grin only opens during the main pilgrimage time, which makes it all the more desirable. During the last pilgrimage in 1445, the cloth was even brought to Rome, where Pope Eugen IV officially recognized the blood wonder. Today many pilgrims come on foot, with some groups going on a trip of several hundred kilometers. The trip still attracts believers, even if the number of overnight accommodation has decreased along the routes because many hosts died. This means that around 500 pilgrims from Fulda and around 200 from Cologne are expected this year.modern impulses for pilgrimage
In order to actively counteract the decline in the number of participants, Father Josef Bregula relies on modernization and updating pilgrimages. Special programs such as the "Stay-and-Pray" devotions that integrate modern songs show the effort to make the pilgrimage more attractive for younger generations. In addition, special devotions are offered for families, children and adolescents, which promotes the address of various groups of visitors. Fortunately, the number of participants in young people in many pilgrims.
This year's leading word of the pilgrimage is "happy in the hope", which underlines the positive and build -up feeling during this time. This call could move more people to make their way to Walldürn and to experience the community of pilgrims.
The enthusiasm for the pilgrimage remains unbroken in Germany. Numerous pilgrimage routes are advertised by believers and the tourism industry in Lower Saxony, which further promotes the variety of pilgrimage locations and traditions. The development of new pilgrimage paths could breathe new life into pilgrimage and pilgrimage, as the recent discussions about the future of pilgrimage show, which are also discussed in the context of the Holy Year 2025.
The Holy Blood pilgrimage not only symbolizes a broken electricity on participants, but also an opportunity for renewal and communal coexistence. So it remains to be hoped that the pilgrimage duration in Walldürn offers many opportunities for deepening and encountering -an invitation to everyone to go on the way of faith.
For more information, visit the websites of SWR , fnweb and pilgrimage center .
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| Ort | Walldürn, Deutschland |
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