Dzieje pielgrzymowania z Krakowa na Jasną Górę

History of pilgrimages from Kraków to Jasna GóraDescriptions of worshippers headed from Kraków to the Shrine of Jasna Góra in the city of Częstochowa have been discovered in archives dating back to the 14th century. The early beginnings of this traditions can be linked with religious and political considerations as well as the close proximity of Częstochowa to Kraków. The tradition of pilgrimages to Jasna Góra has been maintained over the centuries despite the loss of independence by Poland as a whole. The anti-Catholic work of Poland’s post-1945 government also did not stem the flow of pilgrims from Kraków to Jasna Góra. The contemporary pilgrimage movement has its roots in the 1970s when a number of new pilgrim organizations came into existence. These included the Cistercian Foot Pilgrimage ( 1972 ), which became the 4 th part of the Kraków Foot Pilgrimage in 1998. The latter had begun in 1981. Another pilgrimage is the Dominican Foot Pilgrimage, which became an independent pilgrimage in 1992 – separate from the Archdiocesan Pilgrimage. The smallest pilgrimage from Kraków is the Skałka Foot Pilgrimage, which has been active since 1976 and is led by the Pauline Fathers. The pastoral work and pilgrimage activity of John Paul II has also had a strong effect on each of the three pilgrimage movements from Kraków