Procession

At dawn on July 31, 1678, the villagers of Fiesch, Switzerland, began a pilgrimage to pray for the retreat of the glacier that loomed over their land. Every year, they walked the same path up the mountainside to a small chapel in the forest. The glacier slowly receded until it could no longer be seen from the village. In 2009, they submitted a formal petition to the Vatican, allowing them to reverse the wording of the prayer. Now they pray for the glacier’s return.