21-02-2026

Pilgrimage from the Parish of the Nativity of Christ in Antwerp to Trier (Germany).

On Saturday, February 21, the Parish of the Nativity of Christ in Antwerp conducted a pilgrimage to Trier, one of the oldest cities in Germany and a major center of early Christianity in Europe.

Trier was founded during the Roman era as Augusta Treverorum and, in the 4th century, was one of the capitals of the western half of the Roman Empire. Known as the "Rome of the North," the city was not a military center, but an administrative and cultural center, as well as the residence of Roman emperors, including St. Constantine the Great. Numerous monuments from the Roman era, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, have survived to this day.

Pilgrims entered the city through the Porta Nigra (Black Gate), built in the 2nd century and the largest surviving Roman city gate north of the Alps. In the Middle Ages, they were converted into the Church of St. Simeon, and in the 19th century, by order of Napoleon, they were restored to their original Roman appearance.

The main destination of the pilgrimage was the Trier Cathedral, built on the site of the palace of St. Helena. In the cathedral, pilgrims venerated many great relics: the Tunic of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, one of the nails of the Holy Cross, the head of St. Helena, Equal-to-the-Apostles, and a foot of the Apostle Andrew are kept there.

After the main cathedral, the group visited the Basilica of Constantine, the former throne room of St. Constantine the Great, which became a symbol of the end of the persecution of Christians after the Edict of Milan in 313.

The group then headed to the Basilica of St. Paulinus, where the pilgrims learned about the story of St. Paulinus, one of the first saints of Trier, and venerated the relics of the holy martyrs of the Theban Legion, who suffered for Christ under Emperor Maximian, housed there.

The trip concluded with a visit to the Benedictine Abbey of St. Matthias, home to the relics of St. Matthias the Apostle—the only apostle relics in Germany—and the first bishops of Trier, Saints Eucharius and Valerius.

The pilgrimage offered the participants an opportunity to connect with the origins of European Christian history, honor ancient shrines, and strengthen their faith.