The 46th Warsaw Metropolitan Academic Pilgrimage began with Mass at St. Anne's Academic Church and is scheduled to reach Częstochowa on August 14, ahead of the Feast of the Assumption. Participants travel in groups for 10 days, carrying personal intentions and prayers entrusted to them by relatives and friends. Jasna Góra has long served as a symbol of Polish Catholic identity. Its religious and historical significance is explored in TVP World’s guide to the monastery. August is the busiest pilgrimage period at the shrine. City officials expect 80,000 pilgrims in 193 registered groups this month, with arrivals peaking on August 13–14 and August 24–25, ahead of the August 15 Feast of the Assumption and the August 26 Feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa. Some groups travel by bicycle or on inline skates.