Bandel Walk Pilgrimage: in Search of Sacramentals or Sacraments!

 

The Marian shrine of Bandel Basilica has attracted thousands of pilgrims who flocked in on Sunday, 15^th January 2023 from 8.30 a.m. onwards. The pilgrims progressed in their ‘march’, reaching the Shrine of the Holy Rosary on foot, tired and torn with blisters, solely in search of grace. Thousands of pilgrims including men-women, young people and children started their walk from different starting points in Nadia, Hooghly, Howrah, Kolkata, 24 Paraganas, many  walking over 40 km distance bare foot as penance, promise and pilgrimage, while thanking God through Mary for favours received. Many lay leaders accompanied the pilgrims from their respective parishes. Clergy and the nuns were absent from such walk except one priest. The walking pilgrimage of its 67^th year, usually held on second Sunday of January, has been a traditional practice for many people from these neighbouring districts, organized by the Catholic Association of Bengal. Additionally, pilgrims from Kalyani Parish (Nadia) completed their 25^th Walk Pilgrimage this year. Bandel Walk was interrupted for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Peoples’ expeditions into popular devotions, preferring sacramental to sacraments, brought together thousands of pilgrims to the mantle of Our Lady of Happy Voyage. Those from South 24 Paraganas, Kolkata and Howrah began their walk after attending the usual early Mass at Happy Voyage Church, Howrah. The pilgrims carrying the cross walked down the Grand Trunk Road towards Bally bridge where they were joined by other pilgrims, walking through old colonial townships of Serampore, Chandernagore, Chinsurah along Hooghly river, before they reached the Basilica by 6.25 p.m.

The attraction towards Our Lady of Bandel, sends spirit-filled grace to many young and old to take up the ‘radical challenge’ to walk the way exploring individual and group devotions, with prayers and songs carrying with them candles, flowers and incense. With the decline of the elderly joining in the walk, the young generations have taken up the challenging tradition of old. They all come in search of the Mother who awaits eagerly her children. The statue of Our Lady of Happy Voyage eventually ‘lifts’ them up to her (many kneeling their way up the stairs!) for blessings and graces from above. Unlike other pilgrimages this one includes a well dedicated community effort with voluntary services from respective parishes with their banners, to ‘walk the faith’ as a ‘family’ under Mary’s mantle.

It emphasizes each one’s quest to express concretely his/her devotion. While many ‘walks’ to pay homage to Mary, saints and martyrs, are managed by Church authorities, this one is one of the laity, and by the laity. On arrival, right from 11 a.m., few Priests from Bandel Basilica blessed the pilgrims at the Church gate and received the pilgrims’ Cross late in the evening, and placed it before the main altar, before the Eucharistic celebration for the weary pilgrims. It was an appalling scene to see how the faithful struggled, stretched and rushed to touch the Cross for blessings! It proved a sacramental devotion, noisy though! Precisely observing so, the Prior in his homily expressed his ‘worry’ whether Catholic faith depended on sacramental (“rushing to touch the Cross” or on Sacraments (“approaching the Confessional”). While speaking of Mary’s trusted flight with the child Jesus to unknown Egypt, he questioned: “How many of us today would have the courage to manifest our faith in this manner…. With the faith that the Blessed Mother had?”

Often, the ‘adventurous’ open-minded fellow ‘pilgrims’ in their maiden efforts venture into the sacred spheres of their lives either invited or challenged by friends and relatives, or by mere chance. For some youth it meant a challenging adventure. Sitting tired in the Church for the Eucharistic celebration after a long walk, a young lady expressed: “I made this stomach-blowing walk from Bally (Howrah), in order to grow a bit strong in spirit, body and mind.” As the regular pilgrims moved through the pews of their past annual walk memories, their perseverance had a ‘prize’ to offer – grace from God.  As another young pilgrim while limping after a long leg-shivering walk, remarked, “I made this long walk to show my love for Mother Mary who has looked upon my family.” 

Thousands of pilgrims including followers of other faiths attended the annual Walk Pilgrimage to Bandel Basilica this year. Three priests concelebrated Mass and two others heard confessions. These pilgrims sought to separate themselves from the everyday concerns of the world, and spent time in the presence of God. On their return home, nourished by grace, they wish to live their faith better. The over-422 years old Bandel Shrine distinctively contributes to the spiritual growth of the ‘pilgrims’, whose ruminations will certainly sanctity their deep desire for that which is mysteriously Supreme. Built in 1599 by the Portuguese who set up their colony in Hooghly in the 16^th century, the Bandel Church holds the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Happy Voyage, which has become the ‘faith-focus’ for these pilgrims of Bengal and beyond.