The crucifixion of Christ is acted out in a passion play performed in front of the monastery. The players are not really nailed to the cross as sometimes happens in the Philippines.
Gorka Klasztorna, Poland, 28-29 March 1999.
One of the many processions has arrived. It goes around the church while participants sing songs in celebration of the Virgin Mary.
Moisei, Romania, 14-15 August 1999.
Woman goes up the steep `Hill of Golgotha' on her knees.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland, 16-20 August 2000.
Women at prayer in the wooden church.
Sieu, Romania, 5 September 1999.
The Transfiguration is one of the important festivals of the Orthodox Church. Here the festival is held in a big tent.
Durau, Romania, 6 August 1999.
Young girls taking part as brides in the procession in tears at the end of the great Assumption procession.
Kalwaria Paclawska, Poland, 11-14 August 2000.
Three times young people go around a chapel deep in the woods, on their knees, to ask for happiness in love.
Kalwaria Paclawska, Poland, 11-14 August 1997.
Man in meditation at a vigil in a chapel.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland, 31 March-2 April 1999.
A man wears a crown of thorns in remembrance of the Passion of Christ.
Kalwaria Paclawska, Poland, 11-14 August 1997.
As soon as they have arrived at this Orthodox place of pilgrimage, pilgrims go around the church three times, on their knees.
Grabarka, Poland, 18 August 1997.
Woman at prayer before a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Jasov, Slovakia, 25-26 July 1998.
A pilgrim kisses a stone. The first chapels were built around 1600 after Mikolaj Zebrzydowski had had a vision.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland, 31 March-2 April 1999.
Open-air service.
Sihla, Romania, 7 August 1999.
A Franciscan friar conducts an orchestra consisting of pilgrims.
Gora Swietej Anny, Poland, 14-16 August 1998.
‘Angel' in the Assumption procession.
Moisei, Romania, 14-15 August 1999.
Service to celebrate Independence Day.
L'viv, the Ukraine, 24 August 2000.
A participant of the morning procession around Easter takes a short break.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland, 10-13 April 1998.
‘Jesus' climbing the `hill of Golgotha' during the great Easter procession.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland, 10-13 April 1998.
Funeral in accordance with ancient rites.
Botiza, Romania, 5 September 1999.
A wedding in a small wooden church. The bride and groom, wearing crowns, walk three times around the altar with the Orthodox priest.
Sieu, Romania, 4 September 1999.
Young girls taking part as brides in the procession listen to a sermon.
Kalwaria Paclawska, Poland, 11-14 August 2000
Taking shelter from a cloudburst during the great Assumption procession.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland, 16-20 August 2000.
Holy Communion during an ordination.
Univ, the Ukraine, 27-28 August 2000.
The benediction offered by the priest in – mainly Orthodox – Rumania.
Neamt, Romania, 5 August 1999.
Two priests go round the chapels.
Kalwaria Paclawska, Poland, 11-14 August 2000.
A woman decorating a cross. In accordance with tradition pilgrims bring along a cross which they plant at the place of pilgrimage.
Grabarka, Poland, 18 August 1997.
Evening service.
Moisei, Romania, 14-15 August 1999.
A woman kisses an icon in the fairly new place of pilgrimage of Litmanova in Slovakia. Since the Virgin Mary appeared to an eleven-year-old girl in 1990, this place has drawn about 100,000 visitors a year.
Litmanova, Slovakia, 5-8 August 1998.
Priest blesses the worshippers with holy water after the service on the monastery grounds.
Neamt, Romania, 5 August 1999.
Ordination.
Univ, the Ukraine, 27-28 August 2000.
In the villages of the Carpathian Mountains the children receive the benediction in the church before their first day at school.
The Ukraine, 31 August 2000.
Open-air confession on the monastery grounds.
Univ, the Ukraine, 27-28 August 2000.
A short break during the great procession.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland, 16-20 August 2000.
In accordance with tradition the `brides' of the procession cross the river.
Kalwaria Paclawska, Poland, 11-14 August 2000.
Participants at the end of the Easter procession.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland, 10-13 April 1998.
Liturgy during the festival of the Transfiguration in one of the few Orthodox places of pilgrimage in Poland.
Grabarka, Poland, 18 August 1997.
Nuns in one of the numerous convents in Moldavia.
Voronet, Romania, 8 August 1999.
In the monastery church during the celebration of Assumption.
Moisei, Romania, 14-15 August 1999.
One of the most important places of pilgrimage in Poland is Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. A pilgrim kisses a cross in one of the 33 chapels on the grounds.
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Poland, 31 March-2 April 1999.
Lying on the ground in a cross-shaped position is one of the rites of penitence in remembrance of the Passion of Christ.
Kalwaria Paclawska, Poland, 11-14 August 1997.
At a festival in celebration of St. Anna, confession is heard beside the church.
Jasov, Slovakia, 25-26 July 1998.
Celebration of the five-hundredth anniversary of the monastery; at the `festival of the icon of the Mother of God of Suprasl'.
Suprasl, Poland, 9-10 August 1998.
Service in remembrance of John the Baptist's beheading.
Arbore, Romania, 29 August 1999.
Easter. `Guards' of the local fire brigade have taken up position beside the `sepulchre' of Jesus in one of the Polish village churches.
Lapsze Wyzne, Poland, 3 April 1999.
Confession in the monastery during a pilgrimage.
Univ, the Ukraine, 27-28 August 2000.
Pilgrim.
Grabarka, Poland, 18 August 1997.
A child kisses one of the icons of the Stations of the Cross.
Moisei, Romania, 14-15 August 1999.
Worshippers waiting for the Archbishop's blessing after the celebration of the birth of the Virgin Mary.
Rozavlea, Romania, 8 September 1999.
Woman making her confession beside the church.
Gaboltov, Slovakia, 18-19 July 1998.
Wailing woman at a traditional funeral, shortly before the service is held in the farmyard.
Sieu, Romania, 4 September 1999.
Pilgrims.
Grabarka, Poland, 18 August 1997.
Drunken pilgrim in the largest Catholic place of pilgrimage of Slovakia.
Levoca, Slovakia, 4-5 July 1998.
Woman at prayer in the monastery church.
Moisei, Romania, 14-15 August 1999.
Pilgrims kissing the steps in a chapel.
Kalwaria Paclawska, Poland, 11-14 August 1997.
Pilgrims at the place of pilgrimage of Levoca, which is visited by many gypsies from eastern Slovakia.
Levoca, Slovakia, 4-5 July 1998.
From 1997 to 2000 Jan van IJken worked on a photo project about religiosity in Eastern Europe. Travelling through Poland, the Ukraine, Slovakia and Rumania, he was present at pilgrimages, religious festivals, liturgies and processions.
Time and again he was touched by the people’s absolute devotion – in very difficult situations sometimes – and by the purity and sincerity of their rituals. The result is a series of 55 beautiful black-and-white photos which reflect the revival of religious traditions in a number of former Warshaw pact countries.
The photos were published in the photobook ‘A touch of Divinity’ (2001) and were exhibited in a travelling exhibition in monumental churches in the Netherlands.