Invitation to a pilgrimage to Saint Mary – Žanjica in Porčinj
St. mass in the Slovenian language will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.
Mother of all nations and peoples, train us with maternal tenderness to be witnesses of God’s love!
How to get to Porčinj?
-Through Čedad: Čedad (Cividale) – (Fojda) Faedis – Ahten (Attimis) – Porčinj (Porzus).
-On the A4 highway, via Videm-Udine: – exit Udine nord – Povoletto – Ahten (Attimis)–Porčinj (Porzus).
-Through Kobarid: Kobarid – Borjana – Podbela – Robidišče – crossroads at Preval; chapel of St. Antona – Prosenicco – Subid – Topli vrh (Malghe di Porzus) – Porčinj (Porzus). It is 11 kilometers from Robidišče to Porčinj.Warning: you may not be able to set up navigation to Porčinj in Attimis. From the parish church of St. Andreja, continue for about 250 m in the direction of Tarcento and before the bridge turn towards Subid and Porzus. After about 1 km, there is a turnoff to the right for Porzus.
On foot along pilgrimage paths: Marked footpaths also lead to Porčinj from Ahtno (Attimis), Fojda (Faedis) and other places. If you decide on this option, we recommend that the hike leaders take a look at these tracks beforehand and walk them yourself.
We recommend that you make an agreement between yourselves and come mainly by private cars or vans that can get to Porčinj. Parking is possible at Jankona (Apparition Church), next to the pilgrims’ home and next to the parish church. Due to the narrow road, buses cannot drive from Ahtno (Attimisa) to Porčinj. But the bus can reach Attimis. The parking lot is behind the parish church of St. Andrei. It is about 7 km from Attimis to Porčinj.
Welcome!
In Porčinj, Virgin Mary l. 1855, shown three times to the ten-year-old Terezia Dush; on Saturday, September 8, at the place where the “jankona”, a small church of the apparition, stands today. On Thursday, September 27, 1855, the apparition took place in the church behind the altar, in the presbytery from 1477, which is the work of the Slovenian master Andrej from Loka and still exists. In the same place, Mary appeared for the third time, on Sunday, September 30. The demonstrations took place at a time when cholera was raging in Europe. Maria spoke to the seer in the Slovenian dialect and told her: on Sundays and holidays not to work, not to curse, to respect fasting days, to ask for the forgiveness of sins in the procession from Ahtno (Attimis) and other places. At the third apparition, Teresa received as a sign on her right hand, on the back of her palm, a golden cross, about 3 cm in size. The villagers present with Teresa did not see or hear anything. All they saw was a spider crawling on Mary’s dress. Tereza Duš entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Prudence in Vidmo and received the name Marija Hozana. When Teresa entered the monastery, the cross on her hand was gold, during suffering and illness it became red, and after death it became white. She died in Vidmo on August 16, 1870, not yet 25 years old.
Mary’s apparitions in Porčinje, for various reasons, did not become known to the general public. They remained alive in the consciousness of the locals. This is evidenced by numerous written testimonies and also by the church at the place of the apparition, which is a holy place for the locals. Pilgrimage paths from the surrounding areas also bear witness to piety. After 1991, Porčinj became more and more famous. Porčinj is a gracious place of healing for humanity that has rejected God. At this moment, we are especially invited to pray for a just arrangement of the world, without which there will be no peace in the world.
Bogdan Vidmar (Nova Gorica, 2 April 2024)
