This month, our ‘Christian Heritage month by month’ column presents the pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Viru-Nigula, in the Apostolic Administration of Estonia. Click here for more info
(Photo: Apostolic Administration of Estonia)
Every year, Estonian Catholics make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Viru-Nigula, the oldest Marian sanctuary dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The pilgrimage is led by the Apostolic Administrator of Estonia to give thanks for the Graces received through the intercession of the Holy Virgin.
St. Mary’s chapel was built in 13th century, allegedly to celebrate the victory of the Livonian Order over the Russians in 1268. After the Lutheran Reformation, it was left without proper maintenance, leading to its partial demolition in the mid-17th century and its later collapse. The ruins that remain today – the back wall of the chapel and the surrounding perimeter – remind us how unique the chapel was from the other chapels of the time, since its style was influenced by the Eastern architecture.
The tradition of walking to the Marian shrine started on 1 May 2000 and has taken place every year since. In 2024, the pilgrimage takes on a special meaning, as the Catholic Church in Estonia is celebrating its 100th anniversary, remembering the 1924 recognition of the Apostolic Administration as a separate ecclesiastical entity from the Diocese of Riga.
Although only the ruins of St Mary’s chapel in Viru-Nigula remain visible today, the shrine and the annual pilgrimage remind people of the living Catholic faith in the country, which expresses its gratitude for the Virgin’s intercessions. The shrine’s story warns against the abandonment of precious Christian heritage in Europe and is a sign of the powerlessness of time against profound devotion and belief.