The First Church – Where It All Began

This was the first church visited on the pilgrimage. The journey began quite unexpectedly, while scrolling through social media, a short video appeared, and this church was the first to catch the eye.

Questions quickly followed:
Where can the stamps be found? How do we get the Pilgrim Passport? Which churches are part of the route? How long will this journey take?
Despite searching through videos, comments, and every bit of information available online, the details were still vague and scattered.

Even without all the answers, the decision was made to begin and to take the first step in this journey of hope, guided by a simple approach: when unsure, just ask the locals or the parish priest.

As expected, upon arrival, there was a moment of confusion and no one was around, and it wasn’t clear where to start. The stamp station was found, but without the passport, the journey couldn’t truly begin. So instead, there was time for prayer.

Perhaps that quiet moment was heard. Just as the visit was about to end, the parish priest appeared, asking gently if help was needed. After explaining the search for the Pilgrim Passport, he kindly went into his office and returned with one. He mentioned that the passports were kept inside, given only to those who truly needed them.

Gratitude filled the moment. We took our time to walk around the church, said prayer before the statue of Our Lady, and take in the peaceful atmosphere before setting off toward the next destination.