A total of 50 pilgrims met at the monastery ruins in Stolpe an der Peene on the second Thursday of every month from May to October. They came from Greifswald, Prenzlau, Pasewalk, Feldberg, Ducherow, the islands of Rügen and Usedom, and Anklam.

This last Thursday, there are seven of us. 

The Holy Year 2025 is all about hope, which Pope Francis proclaimed in December 2024. 

A small prayer card with a symbolic image, which we all hold in our hands, speaks for us: 

We cling to the cross with an anchor—the signs of faith and hope. We embrace each other and walk together on a path that is not always easy in turbulent waves.

Our path from the monastery ruins leads us through fields and meadows. Every now and then we see the Peene River.  

We remain silent and listen – “Only in silence do you begin to hear!” – to the voices of our surroundings. What might it have looked like here 900 years ago? In spring, we heard more birdsong.

We continue our pilgrimage on a footbridge – below us are marshy, damp Peene meadows. A moor is to be created here...

We pause and listen: 

May the Holy Year be an opportunity for everyone to revive hope (> Rom 5:3-4). We are reminded and encouraged to be patient in these fast-paced times and to hope again and again. Do we have time for ourselves, for GOD, for our family, and for our neighbors? 

A deer is startled by us, makes its way through the swamp, and disappears into the bushes.

We reach the Wartislawstein on the busy road. It is a memorial stone for Wartislaw I, the first Pomeranian prince to convert to Christianity, who was murdered. The church in Stolpe was built in his honor in 1893, 745 years after his death. We hear about the great challenges faced by St. Otto of Bamberg 900 years ago. He not only brought the Christian faith to Pomerania, he also introduced a whole new value system, such as the abolition of slavery, the abolition of the killing of first-born daughters, and the rejection of nature spirits and deities of fate.

His message was that the GOD he testified to is a generous and loving GOD. 

After a short rest, we reach the small village of Grüttow and marvel at the little church with its cemetery. A friendly villager opened it for us on Thursdays—as he did today.

We pray, sing, and remember our deceased loved ones.

Our path continues past a fallow deer enclosure towards Stolpe. Two donkeys in a smaller enclosure in front of it greet us. 

Freshly plowed fields line the last stretch of the small road on both sides. 

The Wartislaw Memorial Church is our destination. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the management of the Stolpe manor house for granting us access in loyal solidarity. The relief above the entrance shows St. Otto of Bamberg and Duke Wartislaw I kneeling to receive Christ's blessing. 

We give each other our blessing, sing “Pilgrims are we, people...” together, say goodbye, and drive home. 

"Our pilgrimage characterizes the church itself: we are a pilgrim church, not static and perfect, but on a journey to be renewed in Christ. The experiences of being on the move in God's creation are helpful and enlightening." According to Auxiliary Bishop Rolf Lohmann

Thank you for the pilgrimage together and for your support. 

Veronika Seidel