Traditional Octave pilgrimage likely to attract fewer people

This year again, thousands of pilgrims are anticipated to gather together at the Cathedral and at the market near the Gëlle Fra, on the Place de la Constitution. While in the past, the majority of these pilgrims journeyed on foot to the city, today, they constitute a minority. Marc Hoscheid from RTL, talked about this subject with a priest. 
Around 10:30 AM, the procession of the parishes "Iewescht Syr Saint-Esprit" and "Dräilännereck Musel a Ganer Saint-Nicolas" made their way toward the Cathedral. Earlier, at 8:30 AM, members of the "Por Iewescht Syr" had assembled at the water tower on Sennengerbierg to commence their pilgrimage through the city via the cycling path. However, only three ladies showed up for the pilgrimage which shows a waning interest.  Priest Daniel Graul, who is this year's Octave preacher, contemplated potential reasons for this decline.

"Yes, you can notice the difference; less and less people participate. I understand that people's lifestyle has changed. In the past, people were a lot more flexible, they could take time off or they were simply working at home. In today's world, with modern working standards, it's not as simple. You can't just say that you can't work today because you're going on a pilgrimage." Certainly, the evolving landscape of pilgrimage may be influenced by various factors. Nevertheless, there are still individuals, including families with children, who remain eager to take part. Extending the meeting time for the mass from 8:15 AM on Monday to 11:15 AM has also made it easier for more people to participate. The theme of this Octave is "to serve," but the question arises: What concrete message should be conveyed?

"With these words "to serve", I see the collaborative aspect.  In a world marked by conflict and uncertainty, and even on a smaller scale by division, it serves as a good reminder that mutual support and standing in service of one another."

Mutual support can shine through pilgrimage because you're walking with other people on the same path, in this case, towards the Virgin Mary. But as Christians, we're meant to be on this journey throughout our lives anyway.