Common religiousness is expiatory. You come to Eternal Suffering Virgin Mary for consolation, to save oneself from the poverty, misery, sin and problems.
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Basilica in Licheń. Photo: PAP Archive |
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The newly opened basilica in Licheń (near Konin, Wielkopolska) – Sanctuary of the Virgin Mary of Eternal Suffering – is the largest such religious building in Poland, seventh largest in Europe and eleventh in the World. The temple was consecrated by Vatican Nuncio in Poland Archbishop Józef Kowalczyk, June 12, this year.
The numbers show the size of the basilica: 120 meters long, front elevation 162 meters wide, 23,000 square meters of area, 300,000 cubic meters of volume.
Ten stores high nave can hold 10,000 standing places and 7,000 seated. The front square can hold 250,000 persons. The whole structure weighs 110,000 tonnes. The basilica’s contractor, Budimex company announced that raw state of the basilica cost 100 million PLN (20 million euro). It took 10 years to build.
The construction was partially financed by offerings and donations of the faithful. The names of over 17,000 basilica’s benefactors, those who offered at least 1,000 PLN (250 euro), were carved on the walls of the lower temple and arcades.
The Sanctuary of the Virgin Mary in Licheń is over 150 years old, but it is only in the last 20-30 years it transformed into a national pilgrimage destination. There are almost 1.5 million pilgrims every year. The largest number comes only to Jasna Góra m
onastery in Częstochowa.
The image of the Virgin Mary is worshiped in Licheń since 1852. It was moved here from a wayside shrine hanging on a pine tree in a nearby forest, two years after when the Virgin Mary appeared to a praying shepherd Sikatka. She was
calling on prayer, penance and transformation of lifestyle, breaking off the drunkenness and debauchery. She administered moving the picture to a worthy place “…so that whole nation will be able to express public reverence.” She warned Sikatka, that if people will not convert, Gods’ punishment will come.
The shepherd was believed after an epidemic of cholera struck the village.
“Common religiousness is expiatory. You come to Eternal Suffering Virgin Mary for consolation, to save oneself from the poverty, misery, sin and problems. You wait for improvement of the lot, for miracle, right away, right here. The miracles happen” – says Andrzej Datko, sociologist of religion.
