Religious tourism at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland at Kałków-Godów

The purpose of the study was an analysis of pilgrimmages to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland, at Kalków-Godów ( east of the city of Kielce ) in 2005 – 2011, both that of individual tourists and organized groups. An analysis of the structure of tourist traffic concerns the place of their residence. The authors describe the history of this sanctuary and some elements influencing its attractiveness. This is the newest center of the Marian devotion in Poland consisting of various buildings, chapels, figures, and the Way of the Cross stations. The monumental building of the Świętokrzyska Golgotha, Pantheon of the Polish Nation’s Martyrology, is a 33-meter-high structure topped by a 15-meter-tall wooden cross. The altar of the church includes a miraculous picture of Our Lady, a copy of the famous picture of Our Lady of Licheń. The number of tourists visiting the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows at Kalków – Godów has declined in recent years ( 950,000 in 2005 ; 600,000 in 2011 ). The largest number of pilgrims, among organized groups who came to the shrine in 2011, were inhabitants of the Radom Diocese ( more than 18,000 ).

History of pilgrimages from Kraków to Jasna Góra

Descriptions of worshippers headed from Kraków to the Shrine of Jasna Góra in the city of Częstochowa have been discovered in archives dating back to the 14th century. The early beginnings of this traditions can be linked with religious and political considerations as well as the close proximity of Częstochowa to Kraków. The tradition of pilgrimages to Jasna Góra has been maintained over the centuries despite the loss of independence by Poland as a whole. The anti-Catholic work of Poland’s post-1945 government also did not stem the flow of pilgrims from Kraków to Jasna Góra. The contemporary pilgrimage movement has its roots in the 1970s when a number of new pilgrim organizations came into existence. These included the Cistercian Foot Pilgrimage ( 1972 ), which became the 4 th part of the Kraków Foot Pilgrimage in 1998. The latter had begun in 1981. Another pilgrimage is the Dominican Foot Pilgrimage, which became an independent pilgrimage in 1992 – separate from the Archdiocesan Pilgrimage. The smallest  pilgrimage from Kraków is the Skałka Foot Pilgrimage, which has been active since 1976 and is led by the Pauline Fathers. The pastoral work and pilgrimage activity of John Paul II has also had a strong effect on each of the three pilgrimage movements from Kraków.