Pilgrims reach Aglona

  • 2013-08-16
  • From wire reports

AGLONA - More than 100,000 people from all over the world participated in Virgin Mary Ascension celebrations in Aglona, eastern Latvia this year, reports LETA. The largest number of participants was recorded on Aug. 14, when about 70,000 people participated in the ‘Via Dolorosa’ procession, said the basilica’s information center head Ruta Giluce. 20,000 to 30,000 attended the Mass in Aglona Basilica on Thursday. Giluce also said that people from many countries had visited Aglona earlier this year, including from Russia, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania and others.

Also, a total of about 2,500 pilgrims have arrived in Aglona on foot, although this figure does not include individual groups that did not register with the information center, said Giluce.

Aglona Region Tourism Information Center told LETA that the number of participants in the celebrations had decreased significantly from last year, when approximately 200,000 people visited Aglona.

According to Giluce, the main reason for this is that Aug. 15 is still not an official holiday for Latvia’s Catholics. She also said that changeable weather, with several thunderstorms and frequent showers, was a factor.