Mariánské poutní místo Rokole u Bohdašína

Marian pilgrimage site Rokole near Bohdašín

Marian Pilgrimage Site Rokole near Bohdašín The Marian pilgrimage site Rokole is located along the road from Slavoňov to Nový Hrádek.

You’ll find much more here than it first appears – I was pleasantly surprised by how much there was, considering it’s a place right next to the road.

It’s truly a beautiful Christian place with a miraculous spring, a chapel, a church, a Loreto, a Tree of Hope, another chapel, a provincial house, and of course several paths (the Marriage Path and the Way of the Cross).

From Hell all the way to Heaven – the place is also accessible from Nové Město via the Olšenka Valley from Peklo (meaning in Czech language hell).

If you, dear reader, are interested in more, read on.

Chapel by the Spring

The origins of the original wooden chapel, which was replaced by a brick one in 1859, are surrounded by many legends.

One of them tells the story of a little girl:

According to the legend, a young girl got lost in the deep forests (ravine) here. In great distress, she called upon the Virgin Mary for help. The Virgin appeared to her and led her by the hand out of the forest. At the spot of the apparition, a spring gushed forth, creating a well whose water, according to another legend, healed a forester’s blind son. Devout worshippers of the Mother of God first hung a Marian image on a tree near the well and later built a wooden chapel there. – according to the website novemestonm.cz dle webu novemestonm.cz

The chapel is open during the day for silent prayer.

Church of Our Lady of Rokole

The church was built in the Neo-Gothic style in 1930 and was consecrated in 1945. In 1993, a sacristy was added — a kind of preparation room for priests and altar servers, as well as storage for items used during worship.

In 2020, on the 75th anniversary, the church tower received a new bell.

Trails:

The Way of the Cross

In 1874, individual Stations of the Cross were built opposite the chapel, consisting of cast-iron reliefs mounted on stone pillars.

The stone pillars form a kind of circular path with 14 stations.

The Way of the Cross is located across from the Neo-Gothic Church of Our Lady of Rokole (on the other side of the road, in a wooded area).

The path is lined with blueberry bushes on both sides.

The Marriage Path

A short walk for couples featuring 15 stations, each with a slogan meant to inspire reflection and encourage a slower pace of life.

Schönstatt Chapel

This chapel, dedicated as a “Bethlehem mission,” was built on July 19, 1997.

It is the first original Schönstatt shrine in Bohemia and a replica of the original chapel in Schönstatt (the 143rd in the world).

On the altar is an image of the Virgin Mary, Mother Thrice Admirable. She offers every visitor three pilgrim gifts: the gift of home, the gift of inner transformation, and the gift of fruitfulness in one’s mission.

The chapel is open daily from 12:30 to 15:30.

Loreto

Near the church stands a wooden structure (a kind of pavilion) that houses seven paintings depicting the Sorrows of the Virgin Mary, created by a folk artist.

The Spring – The Well

A miraculous spring is linked to the story of a father and his blind son:

“One day, a forester from nearby Nový Hrádek was walking by a well in the forest above the Olešenka stream, near the ruins of Frymburk Castle. Suddenly, he saw a blind bird fall into the spring. After a while, the bird flew away healed. Astonished, the forester took this as a sign from God. He brought some of the spring water home and washed the eyes of his blind, devout son with it — and the boy, too, was healed. Grateful, the man built a chapel by the miraculous spring and hung an image of the Virgin Mary inside.” – story from Wikipedia.org vyprávění z webu Wikipedia.org

There were more healings, as recorded in the parish chronicle of Slavoňov.

The water is pure and very pleasant to drink.

Provincial House of the Sisters of Mary

A short distance from the Bethlehem Chapel, the Provincial House of the Sisters of Mary was built in 2000. The sisters care for this beautiful pilgrimage site.

At present, about 22 sisters live here, most of them elderly or in poor health.