Jarek Jaworski: Pilgrimage

Since almost 300 years ago, every year with the beginning of August, tens of thousands of people have been setting off from Warsaw on the way to Jasna Gora. Withing 9 days, they cover the distance of 254 km on foot.

The aim of this biggest pilgrimage in Europe is to prey in front The Mother of God's painting. The pilgrims are taking along with them their thanksgivings and their beggings.

No matter the weather conditions, fighting their own fatigue and incommodities, the youth, the adult, the old, the handicapped are pilgriming with prays and songs on their lips.

This pilgrimage is a kind of extract of all our daily lives, ups and downs, emotions - all squeezed into the span of 9 days.

During the pilgrimage everything is possible. There are conceived children, ageing people passing away, new friendships starting up, peole getting married, family conflicts evolving.

There are many reasons for going pilgrimage but no matter what are the roots - every pilgrimage is a great spiritual experience and beyond any doubt cultural and social phenomenon.

Over the decades, apart from the faith manifestation, the pilgrimage became a great political demonstration especially in the middle of the 19th century and at the times of communist regime.

Although nowadays, there may be observed a decrease of a number of pilgrimes in comparison with the 80’s, they still constitute a powerful movement. Last year, 132 groups converged at Jasna Gora making up the total number of over 150.000 pilgrimes.

I have photographed the pilgrimes for 4 years. Staying with them during the day, walking in heavy rain, dismantling a tent at dawn, praying I was taking the pictures. I wanted to find an answer why they go pilgrimage and what does it mean for them. Hoverer, after those 4 years I could not find an easy and simple answer. And probably there is no such answer. The pilgrimage, a great manifestation of faith, remains a universal and multilateral phenomenon.