A week-long pilgrimage to Levoca in eastern Slovakia, marking the feast of the Visitation of Our Lady on July 2, ended on Sunday with a central mass celebrated by Diocesan Bishop Frantisek Trstensky.
In his homily, Trstensky invited the pilgrims to make a specific resolution that will help them to deepen their prayers. He also spoke about the joy of faith. At the same time, he called on young people not to become slaves to sadness. "No one will believe angry and aggressive Christians that they love Jesus. The Gospel cannot be spread by insults and anger," he said.
The pilgrimage is held regularly in July on the occasion of the Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary. Levoča is one of the oldest pilgrimage sites in eastern Slovakia. Dating back to the 13th century, the annual Levoca pilgrimage continued even during the four decades of Communist rule in the 20th century. This year, more than 400,000 people attended the pilgrimage during the entire week, with the number of visitors on Sunday alone nearing 100,000.
TASR
