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Wejherowo is a spiritual capital of Cashubia and it is a strong pilgrimage-Marian centre n Pomerania. For over 300 years Wejherowski's Calvary attracts numbers of pilgrims to Wejherowo causing the systematic development of pilgrimage movement. About 60 individual pilgrimages come to Wejherowo every year.
The first pilgrimages started coming to Wejherowo at the end of XVII century. In 1678 the pope Innocenty XI issued special Breve in which he granted eternal validity to the Wejherowski's Calvary plenary indulgences. From 1717 the wejherowski's prayer books (so called kalwaryjki); cyclically renewed up till now, serve to the wejherowski's pilgrims.
On Wejherowski's Calvary 5 church fetes are celebrated: Ascension Day, The Holy Trinity, Sick Curing, the Assumption and Cross Elevation.
On the first church fete (Sunday before Green Day) usually pilgrims from southern and middle Cashubia come, therefore it is often called land church fair. The church celebrations start on Friday afternoon along with the coming of the first pilgrimages and the last up till Sunday afternoon.
The second Calvarian church fete- The Holy Trinity, to which pilgrimages from Puck come, Swarzewo, Władysławowo, Oksywia, Rumia, Reda, Kosakowo and almost all gdyński's parishes. As these are usually pilgrimages from northern Kashubia so from Nordy it is often called Marine church fete.
The rest 3 church fairs are local fairs in wchich usually not organized groups take part.
The Sick Curing church fete is celebrated on the first Saturday and Sunday of July. The main celebrations take part on Calvary on Sunday by the Kajfasz' Chapel at 10:00. The indulgence mass is celebrated for an hour in the intention of sick people who are brought to the hills by their families and friends in order to gain the plenary indulgence and get last rites. On this day the cars are also sacred. The church fete of the Assumption is celebrated on 14 and 15 August. It characterizes with the night march of the processions with candles lit and transparent little coffin where the figure of dead Heavenly Mother. It goes from the chapel of Mother's house to the chapel of Mother's grave. The experience is great when the slithering in the darkness among hills and valleys pilgrim's snake from burnings candles goes between the chapels. The church fete of Cross elevation is the third local fete which takes place on the second Saturday and Sunday of September. It is linked to the school year beginning in which students, parents and teachers of wejherowski's county take part.
In the time of the Lent every Friday on Wejherowski's Calvary the Stations of the Cross service is celebrated. The station s of the Cross on Calvary begins at 4 p.m. with the walking out from monastery church with the procession to the Pilate's Chapel.
On the face of the procession the calvary's flags and cross are carried and after them few thousand of believers.

Feretory’s bows
The pilgrimages coming to the church fete in Wejherowo bring beside flags and banners –feretory (feretory is a portable, double sided picture in ornamented frames which serves in catholic church for carrying during the procession). Feretory in common speech is called pictures carried by 4 people women or men who wear gala or regional clothing. Feretories bow during welcoming and farewell by doing a particular picture salute. It is the unique custom in Poland.

 

 

Calvaria's history
Situation
Map of Calvary
Sanctuaries and Franciscan Monastery
Pilgrimage Traditions
Religious ceremonies
News
Gallery
How to use the structures
 
 

 

 
 

 
 

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The Wejherowska's Calvary website was created within the framework of the project: 'Preservation and availability of Pomeranian heritage by means of Cultural Park foundation in Wejherowo' which is financed by EU.