Mariazell Pilgrimage

Today we became some of the million pilgrims who visit Mariazell Basilica each year!

We boarded buses at 7:15am with about 100 students and faculty, and many bishops and priests that are in Gaming for the LCI Conference.  LCI is the other program based out of the Kartause.  LCI stands for the Language & Catechetical Institute.  It is a one-year Catholic education and formation program for young people and religious from the former and current Communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and China.  It forms disciples for the New Evangelization through foundational instruction in Catholic theology and the English language.  For two weeks, a special conference is going on - so we are blessed to be surrounded by even more bishops and priests than usual.  And today, we got to hike with them!

Brian and Ellie hiking in between bishops from Albania and Ukraine

The buses took us about 20 minutes away to the Naturpark Otscher-Tormauer.  From there our hike began - through beautiful woods, up the mountain, along the crystal clear river and waterfalls.

After about two hours, there was a stopping point where the students picked up water and lunches.  Ellie, Francis, and I stopped here and rode in the van home.  Brian continued on another 5 hours -- the hike was about 18 miles.  The kids and I took another bus with some others to meet back up with them in Mariazell later in the afternoon.

Fr. Timothy celebrated Mass for us along with all of the visiting bishops and priests once we all arrived at the Basilica.  Mariazell Basilica, also known as Basilica Maria Geburt (the Birth of the Virgin Mary) is one of the most visited shrines in Europe.

Inside, a miraculous wooden image of the Virgin Mary is honored.  The story goes: "On the evening of December 21, 1157, a Benedictine monk named Magnus was in a forest looking for a place to build a monastery. At one point, his path became blocked by a huge boulder that was too big to go over or around, so Magnus took a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary he had in his knapsack, knelt in prayer, and asked the Virgin Mary for guidance.  Soon there was a great rumble and the rock split in two, allowing him to pass through. Magnus placed the statue reverently on a white branch and soon after, he and some of the local people built a small chapel to house the statue. Word of the miraculous statue of the Virgin quickly spread across the countryside, and the chapel had to be periodically expanded to accommodate the growing crowds. ... Inside, the miraculous statue is housed in the Lady Chapel or Chapel of Miracles, which stands directly over the place where Magnus established his monastic cell in 1157."

Our special intentions were for my dad on his birthday today and my parents on their anniversary tomorrow!