In Aglona, the main events of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebration — the largest Catholic pilgrimage in Latvia, which annually gathers thousands of believers — continue. After a drone was shot down in the Balvi region on Friday morning, many pilgrims admitted that they experienced anxious moments. However, the organizers emphasize that the incident did not affect the program of the celebration. "When the explosions were heard, it was quite strange. But what happens, happens. I didn’t even think about running away," said pilgrim Silvia Greste to [TV3 News](https://tv3.lv/zinas/latvija/likas-ka-viss-ir-sacies-kars-un-pasaules-beigas-aglonas-svetcelnieki-komente-drona-incidentu/). For some participants of the pilgrimage, the night turned out to be much more tense. > "It was quite scary because about a thousand phones rang at the same time. Personally, it seemed to me that everything — war had begun and the end of the world had come," recalled pilgrim Regina. According to her, after the alarm signal, a soldier asked people to go down to the basement, where they spent about an hour — from four to five in the morning. Despite the stress experienced, many believers decided not to withdraw from participating in the celebration. > "We come here every year. We believe that everything will be fine, we trust the state institutions, we trust God. For us, this is not the most important thing," said pilgrim Janis. According to Father Benedict, such events do not reduce the number of pilgrims, but rather make many seek spiritual support. > "There have always been wars, there have been unrest. But this has never stopped people from traveling to Aglona to pray to the Mother of God, seeking her protection and a sense of security. Moreover, feeling anxiety and instability in this world, people rush even more to the Mother of God," noted the priest. This year, a special action plan in case of aerial threats has been prepared for the celebration for the first time. However, as reported by the State Police, there were no grounds for its application last night. > "It will be activated when a large mass of people gathers: we will help organize the exit from the danger zone, regulate traffic to avoid crowding, threats, and other risk factors," explained Gundars Trops, head of the Latgale regional department of the State Police. According to the organizers, up to 10,000 people are expected to participate in the celebration this year. It is anticipated that on Saturday, for the first time since taking office, Latvia's President Edgars Rinkēvičs will address the pilgrims, having interrupted his vacation due to the security situation to go to Aglona. Despite the enhanced security measures, the organizers hope that the largest religious event in the country will proceed calmly and without incidents.
