A great tradition has been built up in Mechelen with the Hanswijk Procession. In 2023, the procession travelled through the city for the 750th time!
The procession is prompted by the situation in Mechelen in 1272, when a plague epidemic was ravaging the population. Desperate people from the hamlet of Hanswijk marched prayerfully towards the city with their statue of Mary. As they approached the city walls, the gates were closed, as the townspeople feared contagion. The people of Hanswijk sang “Monstra te esse matrem”, which means “Show that you are our Mother”. Then the Brussels Gate opened, and the procession was allowed into the city. The statue of Mary was placed in St. Rumbold's Cathedral, and a few days later, the epidemic had disappeared.
Parts of the procession include the creation, the calling of Mary, the birth of Jesus, the emergence of Marian devotion, the Burgundian and Habsburg golden ages, and the revival of Marian devotion. The Hanswijk Virgin Mary statue is the focal point of the procession.
The number of participants is impressive with around 1700 people and many horses joining the procession. All participants are smartly dressed in the style of the era being depicted.
The procession starts at Zandpoortvest and proceeds via Veemarkt and Grote Markt to Hanswijkstraat, where the closing ceremony will take place in the basilica with singing, prayer, and words of thanks.
The procession takes place every year on the Sunday before Ascension.
