On the night of next May 30, dozens of towns in Álava will once again pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Estíbaliz in the XXXIII edition of the traditional Night March to Estíbaliz, an event that for more than three decades has united faith, sacrifice, and rural fraternity around the patron saint of Álava (Basque Country).
The Diocese of Vitoria is promoting this year the recovery of this historic nighttime pilgrimage, which has been particularly affected in recent years by the aging of the rural world and the decline in participation following the pandemic.
The march was born in 1993 thanks to a group of neighbors from Oyón, in the Rioja Alavesa, who decided to cover more than 58 kilometers during the night separating their town from the Estíbaliz sanctuary. What began as a local initiative quickly became one of the most singular expressions of popular religiosity in the province.
Just one year later, neighbors from numerous towns joined the proposal, walking simultaneously during the night to meet at dawn at the feet of Álava’s patron saint.
A deeply rooted tradition in the rural world
Over the years, the Night March to Estíbaliz came to gather nearly a thousand participants from all over rural Álava. The pilgrimage became established as an annual event where parishes, councils, administrative boards, and entire families shared the path and fellowship.
The diocese also highlights the community value of this initiative, born directly from the towns of Álava and sustained by the commitment of their neighbors.
Even during the pandemic, this tradition did not disappear. In 2020, while much of the country remained under restrictions, about thirty people kept the pilgrimage alive by walking at night to Estíbaliz.
The diocese wants to revitalize the pilgrimage
Aware of the population loss and the progressive aging of many rural areas, the organization has launched an intense mobilization campaign this year.
According to the invitation from the diocese itself, the promoters of the march have traveled through more than 350 localities in the 51 municipalities distributed across the seven Alavese districts to encourage parishes and neighbors to participate.
Under the motto “Herritik bihotzera – From my town, to the heart of our land”, this year’s edition seeks to strengthen ties between rural communities and keep alive a tradition that unites local identity and popular faith.
Estíbaliz, spiritual heart of Álava
The arrival at the sanctuary will take place in the morning of Sunday. The Eucharistic Pilgrims will welcome the participants with a small breakfast before the celebration of Mass at 09:30 and the subsequent fraternal gathering at the Pilgrim Welcome Center.
The Diocese of Vitoria has publicly encouraged all the towns and neighbors of Álava to join this “precious event” born from the heart of the Alavese rural world.
In a context marked by secularization and the weakening of community life in many Spanish towns, the Night March to Estíbaliz continues to be a singular testimony of how popular religiosity still acts as an element of cohesion and belonging in wide areas of the rural world.