Searching for God, Ourselves - or Outing to Nature, Escaping from Somewhere, Finding Refuge Somewhere?

Barna, Gábor (2005) Searching for God, Ourselves - or Outing to Nature, Escaping from Somewhere, Finding Refuge Somewhere? Acta Ethnographica Hungarica, 50 (1-3). pp. 127-134. ISSN 1216-9803

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Abstract

In Hungary in the last 20-30 years the traditional mass pilgrimages, mainly by bus, organised by parishes within village or town frames have almost disappeared. A special form of pilgrimage can now be observed: pilgrimages made on foot by small groups from narrower social, age or occupational groups. The recent paper examines two of these pilgrimages and groups, on the basis of interviews conducted with the leaders and written sources. The first one is a youth pilgrimage and is organised and led by Franciscans between August 15-20. The other pilgrimage on foot is organised by a group of highly qualified, middle-aged Budapest intellectuals. They do not reach the goal by walking continuously but in stages of 18-25 km covered on every second Saturday of the month. Pilgrimage on foot brings together people. Self-restraint plays a big role in the Franciscan youth pilgrimage. Community building is important for both groups. These pilgrimages can become the most important compensative rites of man today.

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