|  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.
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