%0 Journal Article
%T Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa during pandemic Covid-19
%A Sołjan, Izabela
%J Geographical Studies
%V 2023
%R 10.4467/20833113PG.23.027.19548
%N Issue 173
%P 199-229
%K pilgrimage, sanctuary, the Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa, pandemic Covid-19, foot pilgrimages
%@ 1644-3586
%D 2024
%U https://ejournals.eu/en/journal/prace-geograficzne/article/jasnogorskie-pielgrzymowanie-w-okresie-pandemii-covid-19
%X The difficult period of the Covid-19 pandemic affected the functioning of religious associations as well as the spiritual lives of the faithful. Restrictive sanitary regulations meant that only small groups could gather in temples, and they were even temporarily closed. In the case of sanctuary centers intended to welcome pilgrims, restrictions on movement posed an additional challenge. The pandemic situation forced religious institutions to open up to new media, mainly television and Internet broadcasts. Sanctuaries and pilgrimage organizers introduced new forms of pilgrimage. Many pilgrimages were carried out using the relay system, others were held with only a small representation of the entire group, and some utilized hybrid formats. The article aims to illustrate the pilgrimage activities of the Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa in this unique period (2020–2022), for centuries the most important Polish sanctuary, called the spiritual capital of Poland. The focus is on presenting the scale of the pilgrimage movement, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, new forms of pilgrimage, the main initiatives of Jasna Góra new forms of pilgrimage as well as presenting the main events and initiatives of the sanctuary reflected in pilgrimage programs.