Eichlberg pilgrimage: Number of participants decrease-is tradition in danger?

Eichlberg pilgrimage: Number of participants decrease-is tradition in danger?

The traditional Eichlberg pilgrimage, which took place this year for the 49th time, recorded a sad decline in the number of participants. If 54 footwall drivers came to the Eichlberg in the Trinity Church in the previous year, only 48 believers found themselves this year. The organizers note that older pilgrims in particular stop for health reasons and move in fewer young people, which contributes to this decline.

At 2:50 a.m. the prayer took place in the Marienwallfahrtskirche in Neuses under the direction of Pastor Shijo Alappattu. After the blessing, the participants went on their way together with the priest, while a full moon lit up the night and soon started dusk. The route led landscapes through Pittoreske via Deising to Meihern, where a breakfast rest was inserted. Heribert Meyer and his team had prepared coffee, cake and cold drinks, which was well received by the pilgrims.

community and support

The pilgrims continued their trip over Perstrohhofen and Albertshofen to Thonlohe, where a major break was planned. Another highlight of the day was thanks to the pilgrim manager Karl Schmidt to the organizers and supporters, including the fire brigade Pondorf and the Bavarian Red Cross. The willingness of the Red Cross from Beilngries was particularly important because Altmannsteiner were bound at the fire brigade festival in Neuenhinzenhausen.

The pilgrimage prayer spoke on the image of the Mercy of the Trinity Church, followed by the participation in the pilgrimage service, which was celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Former Bishop Friedhelm Hofmann and several priests designed the service. An honor for pilgrims who took part in a pilgrimage anniversary rounded off the celebrations, but this year nobody was represented from the Neuses group.

pilgrimage experiences in the current time

While pilgrimage tradition suffers in Bavaria, pilgrimages are booming worldwide. An example of this is the holy year 2025, which already led to a considerable rush in St. Peter's Basilica: over a million people visited the holy gate in the first month. According to Father Enzo Fortunato, the spokesman for St. Peter's Basilica, a total of 32 million people should cross one of the four goals, a real pilgrimage storm is emerging, especially for the Easter and summer months. For many, a deep spiritual experience unfolds in pilgrims, which both believes and strengthens community.

The tradition of pilgrimage is deeply rooted in history, both in Christianity and in other religions. According to an article from Katholisch.de, pilgrims describe a basic attitude of man who is always looking for what is occupied by numerous historical pilgrimages - from Abraham to Jesus to the first Christians. The modern pilgrimage movement has won again in recent decades, whereby many are also looking for themselves.

This shows that the old ways of pilgrimage are also significant today-be it in the old traditions such as the Eichlberg pilgrimage or in the large pilgrimage flows to Rome. The needs of the pilgrims are diverse: it is about strengthening belief, community experiences and sometimes also a deep reflection on your own life.