Aglona—Basilica of the Assumption

It's impossible to overstate the place of Aglona in the hearts of Latvian Catholic life, and Eastern European Catholic life in general. Icccct is a historical and cultural site significant to all Latvians. Annually, tens of thousands — at times over a hundred thousand — trek by foot from all over the country, and abroad, to make their pilgrimage to Aglona's Basilica in observance of the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary... without packing for the trip... being taken in by both friends and strangers along the way. Young and old, the youngest either carried or pushed in their stroller, as if out for an afternoon walk — people arrive in Aglona from all over the country, and beyond — highways as far away as Liepaja and Ventspils, on the Baltic coast, lined with endless strands of the faithful making the journey, some traveling as much as three weeks each way. It's quite a sight to see! Pilgrims have been making the journey for two hundred years, ever since the current basilica and abbey were built.

The original wooden church, built in 1699, was destroyed by fire in 1766. The current structure was completed in 1780 and and consecrated in 1800. The church's icon is reputed to possess miraculous healing powers.

The town of Aglona itself was still run down during my visit, despite housing the heart of Catholicism in Latvia. I looked forward to the day that not only the church, but all Aglona, experiences renewal.

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With encroaching trees and Soviet-era shanties razed, the basilica's two towers now stand alone.

Their white unadorned exterior belies what awaits inside.

A wider view of the basilica complex, perspective corrected

A view toward the church through the main gate

The restoration of the church's sumptuous interior was virtually complete. Only one painting still awaited its final facelift.

The magnificent organ dominates the rear of the church.

The organist was practicing as we entered, creating an air of reverence. An air of serenity pervades this place.

The interior has regained its former grandeur. I browsed through one of the hymnals in the pews. It was in old Latgalian, seeming as different from modern Latvian as Beowulf is from the New York Times.

The centerpiece is the icon above the altar. Aglona is not a large church, but that only seems to concentrate, not diminish, its effect. Nothing is so far away as to not be immediately noticed.

The icon is symbolic of the return of religion and demise of communistic atheism. Its restoration is but one in the renewal of Latvia's cultural treasures.More, its survival is only one of many such stories.