Pilgrimage church

Summary

A pilgrimage church (German: Wallfahrtskirche) is a church to which pilgrimages are regularly made, or a church along a pilgrimage route, like the Way of St. James, that is visited by pilgrims.

The Calvary Church in Bonn with its holy stairway

Pilgrimage churches are often located by the graves of saints, or hold portraits to which miraculous properties are ascribed or saintly relics that are safeguarded by the church for their veneration. Such relics may include the bones, books or pieces of clothing of the saints, occasionally also fragments of the cross of Jesus, pieces of the crown of thorns, the nails with which he was fixed to the cross and other similar objects. Pilgrimage churches were also built at places where miracles took place.

List of Roman Catholic pilgrimage churches edit

Churches are listed in alphabetical order of the sites in or near where they are located.

Austria edit

 
Andenken an Birkenstein postcard. University of Dayton Libraries.
 
Pilgrimage Church of Frauenberg in Ardning
 
Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary in Mariazell
 
Mariatrost Basilica in Graz
  • Ardning, Styria: Pilgrimage Church of Frauenberg (Wallfahrtskirche Frauenberg an der Enns)
  • Bad Leonfelden, Upper Austria: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Schutz am Bründl (Katholische Kirche Maria Schutz)
  • Berg bei Rohrbach, Upper Austria: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Trost (Wallfahrtskirche Maria Trost)
  • Bergheim near Salzburg: Maria Plain
  • Christkindl, Upper Austria: Pilgrimage Church of Christkindl (Wallfahrtskirche Christkindl)
  • Fernitz, Styria: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Trost (Wallfahrtskirche Maria Trost Fernitz)
  • Gaflenz, Upper Austria: St. Sebald am Heiligenstein
  • Graz, Styria: Mariagrüner Kirche, Graz
  • Graz, Styria: Mariatrost Basilica
  • Gurk, Carinthia: Gurk Cathedral (grave of Saint Hemma of Gurk)
  • Gutenstein, Lower Austria: Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Wallfahrtskirche Hilfreiche Jungfrau Maria auf dem Mariahilfberg)
  • Heiligengrab, Bleiburg, Carinthia
  • Horn, Lower Austria: Maria Dreieichen
  • Kaltenberg, Upper Austria
  • Kaltenbrunn, Tyrol
  • Linz, Upper Austria: Pöstlingberg
  • Maria Dornach (Mitteldorf), Großkirchheim, Carinthia
  • Maria Gail, Villach
  • Maria Hilf ob Guttaring, Carinthia
  • Maria Laach am Jauerling, Lower Austria
  • Maria Loreto, Saint Andrew i. L., Carinthia
  • Maria Rain, Carinthia
  • St Mary's Church, Maria Saal, Carinthia
  • Maria Schmolln, Upper Austria
  • Pilgrimage Church of Maria Schnee (Maria Luggau), Lesachtal, Carinthia
  • Maria Schnee (at about ten places in Austria and several places in Germany and neighbouring countries)
  • Mariastein, Tyrol
  • Maria Taferl (most important pilgrimage site in Lower Austria)
  • Maria Waitschach, Guttaring, Carinthia
  • Mariazell, Styria – which in 2003–2005 was the venue for the Central European Catholics Day
  • Molln, Upper Austria: Pilgrimage Church of Frauenstein
  • Pottenstein: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Trost im Elend
  • Poysdorf, Lower Austria: Maria Bründl
  • Saalfelden, Salzburg: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Kirchenthal
  • Sankt Jakob im Rosental, Carinthia: Pilgrimage Church of Maria Elend
  • St. Wolfgang, Upper Austria
  • Pilgrimage Church of St. Wolfgang ob Grades, Metnitz, Carinthia
  • Schollach, Lower Austria: Maria Steinparz
  • Seggauberg, Styria: Pilgrimage Church on the Frauenberg near Leibnitz
  • Sonntagberg, Lower Austria
  • Our Dear Lady, Hochfeistritz, Eberstein, Carinthia
  • Zistersdorf, Lower Austria: Maria Moos (oldest spring shrine in Lower Austria)
  • Sanctuary of the Christkindl Church, Steyr [de]

Brazil edit

Croatia edit

  • Trsat, Dalmatia, Croatia: Pilgrimage Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat, Cathedral of St Vitus

Czech Republic edit

France edit

 
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes

Germany edit

 
Vierzehnheiligen
 
Pilgrimage church of St. John the Baptist (Bussen)
 
The Apollinaris Church in Remagen
 
The Pilgrimage Church of Birnau by Lake Constance
 
Maria, Königin des Friedens, Neviges

Gibraltar edit

Great Britain edit

 
Palestinian Christian Scouts outside the Church of the Nativity, Palestine

Holy Land edit

Ireland edit

 
Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome

Italy edit

 
Our Lady of Lebanon

Lebanon edit

Latvia edit

Lithuania edit

Mexico edit

 
Guadalupe Basilica postcard. University of Dayton Libraries.

Netherlands edit

Philippines edit

Poland edit

 
Jasna Góra in Częstochowa
 
Divine Mercy Sanctuary (Kraków), also known as Łagiewniki

Portugal edit

Slovakia edit

Spain edit

Switzerland edit

Turkey edit

Syria edit

See also edit