Aglona is the site of the most important religious shrine in Latvia, the basilica of Our Lady of Aglona. It is located in Latgale, the eastern part of Latvia, which historically has been a Catholic stronghold of Latvia. For more than two hundred years the Aglona church has been a traditional place of pilgrimage for Latvian Catholics. Pilgrims gather there for major church holy days throughout the year, particularly Pentecost and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15. It is particularly the Feast of the Assumption, the feast of the Aglona shrine itself, that has become the most popular time of pilgrimage in Latvia. The veneration of the Mother of God on this feast is most appropriate in Latvia since historically the country has been known as “the Land of Mary” ( designated as Terra Mariana by Pope Innocent III in 1215). In fact Christian missionaries to Latvia instilled devotion to Mary. Bishop Meinard had begun the preaching of the Christian faith on the shores of the Daugava in the name of the Virgin Mary and, establishing the bishopric of Ikskile, he declared it under the protection of the Virgin Mary. This tradition was continued by Bishop Albert in building a cathedral in Riga in 1215 which he dedicated to the honor of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. After the Reformation, when the Jesuits arrived in Latvia in 1582, they also carried on their mission under the sign of Mary. The Dominicans did the same, erecting their churches in honor of Mary. After the creation of an independent Latvia, Aglona became the center of Latvian Catholicism. The fame of the Aglona shrine reached well beyond Latvia and began to attract pilgrims from neighboring regions, including Russia, Belorussia and Lithuania. When the Communists took control of the country, they attempted to restrict its activities and wanted to close it completely. The shrine and its faithful supporters suffered greatly. However in spite of the repression during the Communist period, pilgrims continued to gather there and the shrine became the most popular religious site in the entire Soviet Union. At times as many as 100,000 pilgrims would gather for the August 15 feast. Aglona not only managed to survive the Soviet persecution, but in the last years of Communist rule, it experienced a significant revival. On August 15, 1698 there was a reported apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Anna, a Latgalian girl who was living on the Viskovo estate. The Blessed Mother, who appeared to Anna while she was in evening prayers, was holding the Child Jesus with her right arm. Father Remigej himself saw a vision of a white church with tall steeples. Father Remigej would become the first prior of the Aglona monastery. It was he who undertook the building of the monastery and the first church. There also was a women’s cloister starting in 1700. Above the main altar is the famous painting of the Madonna and Child which has come to be known as the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Aglona. It is likely that the Dominicans, arriving in Aglona, brought the icon with them, or it was already there in the small old chapel. The painting is by an unknown artist done on oak, probably dating to the 17th century making it older than the Aglona church site. It is closely connected to the icon of Our Lady of Trakai in Lithuania. The scholar and historian Gustav Manteuffel (1832-1916) stated that due to wartime unrest in Lithuania the Trakai icon had been brought to Aglona for safekeeping but was returned to Lithuania. The similarity between these two paintings is very great. Various legends have arisen about the origin of the painting. One asserts that the original icon remained in Aglona while the copy was returned to Trakai by mistake. But this legend that the copy was unintentionally taken to Lithuania is not supported by evidence. The Trakai painting is much older, dating to the 14th century, while the painting of Our Lady of Aglona, according to experts was done in the 17th century. Among the stories about the origin of the miraculous icon is that in 1708 a famine spread across all of Latgale but the residents of the Aglona village were saved from it thanks to the protection of Our Lady of Aglona. In 1718 the bishop of Vilna, Konstantin Bzestowski, ordered a gold crown for it. There is other evidence that this historic holy painting of the Holy Mother was already there from the very start. The inscription on the silver shroud prepared in Vilna in 1834 read: “the true picture of Our Lady of Aglona famous for miracles for 134 years”. This shroud was later replaced with one made in 1875. Over the years the icon came to be associated with special powers as many people testified to favors granted through its intercession. Countless such stories came to be reported. Presently visible in the church there are many signs of appreciation and gratitude. Below the painting on the altar are many symbols of various sizes and shapes, including silver hearts and crutches left as permanent testament to answered prayers and personal “miracles”. The icon is made visible for the public only for special services. It is usually covered by a another painting of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. Dominican liturgies at Aglona became widely popular for their rich spiritual content and festive religious services. These were considered the most beautiful religious services in all of Livonia. In particular the Dominican monks emphasized the singing of religious hymns. Various talented female singers were recruited to sing the rosary on Sundays and special hymns on major feasts. Sometimes they were rewarded on major feast days with special payments. Many special feasts, such as St. Vincent’s Day, were celebrated at Aglona, but the two biggest feast days came to be Pentecost and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Pilgrims come to Aglona not only from Latvia, but also from neighboring countries. While pilgrimages began soon after Aglona’s founding, they became popular at the end of the eighteenth century. On major feast days the pilgrims would remain for several days. They came bringing many offerings of items from their fields which they placed in special baskets near the altar. After the ceremonies these offerings were given to the many beggars and poor people who had gathered outside. In the twentieth century, besides pilgrimages by individuals, parish churches would organize groups of pilgrims. These would be previously announced by the pastors of parishes throughout Latvia. Pilgrims from farther distances gathered in their churches several days before the Aglona feast itself. After attending Holy Mass in their own parish church, they set out on their journey in a special procession. The group was led by a cross bearer followed by banners, then came the priest, followed by the pilgrims carrying banners, holy pictures and singing hymns and reciting the rosary. Along the route they would stop at the wayside crosses common in Latgale, recite appropriate prayers and sing some hymns. Here the local inhabitants would always be gathered. When they passed through some of the larger villages the people would give them refreshments to drink as well as something to eat. The same kind of respectful reception was even shown by the Russian Old Believers and Orthodox followers when the pilgrims passed through their hamlets. When the group reached a church, they were awaited by the local pastor and the church members, all of whom would enter the church for a brief prayer. Ordinarily the pilgrims on longer journeys would spend the night in one of the churches or with local people or even out in the open. On the next morning after Mass they all continued on their way and usually the local church's pastor and parishioner would join the group along with their parish banners. As they approached Aglona they were met by a special reception. In the tower of the Aglona church a watchman would be posted. As soon as he noticed a procession in the distance then the church bell began to ring as a greeting to those approaching. The pilgrims were met at the church door by the Aglona pastor holding the church's crucifix. The pilgrims' crucifix was joined with the church's cross as a sign of greeting as were the banners of both. The pastor would say a few words of welcome and then all would enter the church, singing the traditional hymn "Jaunova Svata Aglyunas Bazneica"( “The Blessed Virgin of the Aglona Church”). The pilgrims would spend the night praying and singing either in the church or in the garden. In rainy weather the pilgrims would stay overnight in one of the local hamlets. After Latvian independence, when the classical high school was built, it gladly accepted all pilgrims who wanted to stay in its ample quarters. During the night the priests would hear the confessions of all who desired to do so because one of the requirements to receive the indulgences for the Aglona pilgrimage included confession, and Holy Communion, as well as praying for the intentions of the Holy Father. That is why in those years, as many as l00 priests would come to assist at the August 15 celebration while the number of pilgrims would approach l00,000. Pilgrimages to Aglona continued through the years, even during the period of religious persecution in the Stalin years. Since the end of Communism, all of the restrictions have been removed and the gathering of pilgrims at Aglona on August 15, both individually and in organized groups, has grown to large numbers again. Aside from following a tradition there were various reasons for these pilgrimages. In the first respect they were to show love for Mary, Queen of the Land of Mary, as well as to cleanse and refresh one's soul, to fulfill a sacred vow, to pray for a special request, or to seek God's help in some other way. The great assemblage of people at Aglona is not only a strengthening of one's faith but a testament to faith as a great unifying force for the people, a strengthening of the unity of differing regions. In Latvian history it was particularly true both in the tsarist period as well as in Soviet times, when it was an effective means of preserving one's faith and nationality.

Interesting to visit especially in 12-15th of August, when there are a lot of people because of celebrations