Some 25,000 persons attended the Assumption pilgrimage on Friday in Notre Dame de Banneux Sanctuary, in the Liège municipality of Sprimont, the sanctuary's master of ceremonies told Belga News Agency.
The religious festivities for the Assumption began on Thursday evening at the sanctuary, to the rhythm of music from the Kosovar community.
"These pilgrims have been participating in every edition for many years, particularly to come and pray at the sanctuary's spring," Master of Ceremonies Fabian Delarbre explained.
Friday's pilgrimage began at around 8.30 a.m. with a Eucharistic celebration in French. Two hours later, the Bishop of the Diocese of Liège, Monsignor Jean-Pierre Delville, presided over an international celebration which, according to the organisers, attracted no fewer than 3,500 participants.
"We prayed hard for peace in the world, even more so today in the context of the summit scheduled for this evening in Alaska between Trump and Putin. We also recalled that the Virgin of the Poor appeared at the moment when Hitler came to power in Germany," Fabian Delarbre told Belga.
Organisers estimate that the number of participants from around the world reached 25,000 on Friday. They were spread across different locations in which a total of 15 masses were celebrated.
"The pilgrims included Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Syrian Catholics and a large group of Chaldeans," Delarbre said. "The Chaldeans, who are from a people who fled Iraq, numbered around 4,000."
The pilgrimage ended with a torchlight procession, attended by 500 to 600 people, at around 8 p.m, attended by 500 to 600 people.
