Leżajsk w sieci ośrodków pielgrzymkowych Polski

Leżajsk in the Network of Pilgrimage Centres in Poland

Summary: At present times, pilgrimizing is considered to be one of the most important religious, cultural, social and economic phenomena. Every year about 220-240 million people, including 150 million Christians, take part in migrations of this type. Poland is a country, where pilgrimages are very popular (5-7 million people yearly). Polish pilgrims constitute almost 5% of all Christians pilgrimizing in the world and about 20% of those in Europe. In Poland there are more than 500 sanctuaries of the Roman Catholic Church. The majority of those (over 80%) are Marian sanctuaries. Most important centres are of an international influence. Those are Częstochowa (Jasna Góra), Niepokalanów (the cult of St. Maksymilian Kolbe), Warszawa (the grave of Rev. Jerzy Popiełuszko), Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Góra Świętej Anny. There are four local pilgrimage centres, namely Piekary Śląskie, Licheń, Gniezno and Krakow. Twenty five sanctuaries are considered to have multi-regional influence, the best known of those being Leżajsk, Bardo Śląskie, Wambierzyce, Trzebnica, Ludźmierz, Kalwaria Pacławska, Święta Lipka, Kodeń, Swarzewo. The history of the Sanctuary of Leżajsk goes back to the 16th century and is connected with the revelations of the Holy Virgin Mary, which, according to the tradition, took place in 1560 and 1590. The first wooden chapel was erected in the place of revelations in 1592 and two years later a wooden church under the invocation of the Annunciation and St.St. John the Baptist, Laurent, Sebastian and Margaret, was built there. In 1608 Bernardine monks came to the town where they have remained until the present day. The present basilica was built in the years 1618-1620. In 1928 Pope Pius XI declared the temple basilica minor. The holy picture of the Madonna of Leżajsk, known as the Madonna of Consolation, was painted by Erasmus, a local monk, before 1590. Since the oldest days the picture has been the object of cult and many people have pilgrimized to it. In 1634 Henryk Firlej, who was the bishop of Przemysl at that time, declared the picture holy and in 1752, with the Pope's consent, the coronation of the picture took place. In the years 1977-1983, the Calvary of Leżajsk (presently expanded) was built next to the basilica. Leżajsk has always been an important centre of Marian cult of a multi-regional influence. Every year it is visited by more than half a million of pilgrims, mainly from south-eastern Poland. A famous organ from the end of the 17th century, which sounds in the basilica, is one of the oldest and most precious musical instruments in the world.

Peregrinus Cracoviensis, 1999, z.7, s. 113-124.

Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UJ

ISSN 1425-1922

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