The main liturgy at the Holy Mount of Grabarka, near the town of Siemiatycze, was officiated by the head of Polish Orthodox Christians, Archbishop Sawa, known as the Metropolitan of All Poland, together with Innocent, the Archbishop of Vilnius and Lithuania, and other clergymen from Poland and abroad.
This year’s celebration coincided with the 75th anniversary of the Grabarka Mount Convent.
According to police estimates, about 8,000 people arrived at Grabarka for the two-day celebration, which began on Thursday.
The Holy Mount of Grabarka, with a small church on top and the convent, is a sacred place for Polish Orthodox Christians.
The slopes of the hill are dotted with thousands of votive crosses, which have been placed there by pilgrims down the years.
Photo: PAP/Artur Reszko
The tradition of pilgrimages to Grabarka dates back to the early 18th century when the place was believed to have saved people from a cholera epidemic.
According to the Orthodox Church, there are up to 500,000 Orthodox Christians in Poland.
In the 2011 national census, however, only 156,000 people declared themselves to be Orthodox Christians.
Orthodox Church leaders have dismissed this number as unreliable.
The results of the 2021 national census are not yet available.
The Orthodox Feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated on the Holy Mount of Grabarka every year on August 18 and 19.
(mk/gs)