Civil Association Pilgrim house

(opened document of the non-governmental organization Joined Hands, approved October 22, 2012 by the Council for Refugees, migrants and pilgrims at the Conference of Slovak Bishops)

1. Pilgrimage is the part of human life from the ancient times. Currently, it is experiencing the period of its renaissance. In nowadays individualistic and consumer society, more and more people set out for the journey- pilgrimage. There exist many places in the world, to which people go by foot, by bicycle, by bus or even by horses...

   We want, to Slovakia become more intensively interconnected with international network of pilgrimage places all over the world. We also endeavour to Slovakia become an active member in the restoration, preservation and creation of pilgrimage routes in our country.

2. Pilgrimage as the way of new evangelization, communication, prayer, and community.

   As the members of Catholic Church, we want to spread love of Christ and we want to show the pilgrims the same hospitality as the Jesus Christ has found in the house of Holy Martha, Lazar and Mary of Bethany.
   The doors of our house for pilgrims will be opened to every pilgrim who will seek the rest.
   By the personal testimony of life, we want to be the stars, which will help find the right direction to those, who walk in the darkness.

3. Pilgrimage as the space-time of personal pilgrim´s transformation.
   Pilgrim is a person, who set out for the road towards pilgrimage place.
   His/her aim is a pilgrimage- journey, visit and prayer in a church. Anything can be the reason for pilgrimage, it depends on a personal decision of each one of us-the need for change, seeking for something or someone, sacrifice, thanksgiving, or adventure. There are as many reasons as pilgrims. Everyone has its own.
   In pilgrimage, the age, sex, religion, nationality or anything else does not matter.
   „Pilgrim is not a settler who has settled down somewhere. He is on the road, temporarily homeless. He goes from somewhere to elsewhere. He came from a place, which he could call his home, but he decided to leave and pilgrim. He can expect that he will come back to place where he started, however he cannot know that for sure. And even if he will come back, the place will not be the same. He will not be the same. Pilgrim is a person, who changes. He will never be the same. Whether he grows or lessens (pilgrims understand), he will definitely be different. Even the place, to which he comes back, will be different“. (J.Poloha, Pilgrim)

   This is the way we perceive the pilgrim. We respect his/her own story and decision to pilgrim.

4. The places, through pilgrims go become centres-focuses of cultural, social and religious events. These places are full of life and joy, because the walking pilgrims bring there their blessing- material and even spiritual.

   We want, every our house for pilgrims to be blessed by catholic priest and to be the place of common prayer for incoming or outgoing pilgrims.
   To maintain and develop spiritual wealth of our nation, we will give the information about current social events in our region to all of the pilgrims.

5. Pilgrim roads, which were protected by the knights in the past, are nowadays protected and sustained by the state and voluntary organizations and institutions.

   We want to actively protect pilgrim roads, to sustain their maintenance and marking.

6. The Conference of Slovak Bishops (CSB) brings the project of the Slovak Marian Road.

   We want to be the co-workers of CBS in the effort of development of the Slovak Marian Road.
   We will actively assist under the common agreements. We are and we will be the supporters of this project.