Living faith - this is how many Christians feel about religious customs in Bavaria. The corona virus had made this almost impossible for the past two years. Now the forced break is over.
Munich (dpa/lby) - During the corona pandemic, traditional Christian events were largely canceled - at Pentecost, some church traditions are to be lived again in Bavaria. The Regensburg foot pilgrimage takes pilgrims to Altötting, the Holzkirchen candle pilgrimage takes them to the Bogenberg near Straubing and the Kötzting Pentecostal Ride, one of the largest equestrian processions in Europe, takes place again.
On Thursday (8:00 a.m.), after a mass, the pilgrims from Regensburg set out on the 111-kilometer journey to the Chapel of Grace in Altötting in Upper Bavaria. As in the years before Corona, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer wants to bless the believers when they start and then walk and pray with them through the last of the nine stages. The motto this time is "Under your protection and umbrella".
The Regensburg pilgrims should arrive in Altötting on Pentecost Saturday. At 10.30 a pilgrim's service is planned in St. Anne's Basilica. In times before Corona, according to the information, several thousand pilgrims took part in the event.
In 2021, the Holzkirchen candle pilgrimage to the Bogenberg was only allowed to take place on a small scale with around 100 participants. This year the organizers are once again counting on lively participation. Since this year, the pilgrimage has been included in the Bavarian State Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage. According to tradition, it goes back to a vow in 1475, according to which a candle sacrifice should be brought to the Bogenberg every year.
The candle pilgrimage, in which the pilgrims carry a candle several meters long - sometimes standing upright - begins early on Saturday morning in Holzkirchen. In the evening, the pilgrims arrive in Deggendorf, from where they set out for Bogen on Pentecost Sunday. The last two kilometers up the Bogenberg are a special challenge for the men - the candle has to be carried upright again.
The Kötzting Whitsun Ride has been held in the Upper Palatinate for more than 600 years. During the men’s pilgrimage on Whit Monday (08.00 a.m.), almost 800 riders in costume and on decorated horses set off from Bad Kötzting to the St. Nicholas Church in Steinbühl, which is about seven kilometers away. After a mass and a rest, the riders return.
The Pentecost ride has its origins in a legend, according to which in 1412 a priest wanted to bring the sacraments to a dying man - on horseback. Since robbers were lurking on the road, brave fellows protected him. After the happy return, the men vowed to repeat the ride annually. In 2015, the Whitsun Ride was included in the Bavarian State Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
