Basilica of the Assumption of Aglona, national sanctuary of Latvia
The Basilica of the Assumption of Aglona, of late baroque with two towers of about 60 meters, is the most important Marian and pilgrimage center of Latvia. Founded by the Dominicans (first wooden church in 1699), the current stone church was built between 1768 and 1780 and was consecrated in 1800.
🌹 Wonders and anecdotes
- The miraculous icon of Our Lady of Aglona, from the 17th century, hidden behind a screen and shown only in the celebrations; the exvotes behind the altar bear witness to the healing that is attributed to her.
- John Paul II gave him the title of a minor basilica in 1980, the only one from Latvia, and he traveled to Aglona on 9 September 1993 to over 300,000 faithful.
- Pope Francis followed his steps on September 24, 2018, in the centenary of Latvian independence, celebrating Mass before the icon venerated under a torrential rain.
- In 1995, the Latvian Parliament declared it a "Sacred Place of National Importance" by law; every 15 August it brings together tens of thousands of pilgrims from the Baltic.
Our Lady of Aglon
Aglona is the Catholic heart of Latvia: national sanctuary by law, goal of the great pilgrimages of the Assumption and house of the miraculous icon to which two potatoes prayed.
"Our Lady of Aglona, Mother to heaven, pray for Latvia and for us.
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