The Black Madonna of Czestochowa, 'Queen of Poland', has been the symbol of Poland's faith and national tradition for six centuries. In today's Poland the pilgrimage to the Black Madonna is also an act of defiance and solidarity. Last year eight million Poles made the pilgrimage, and on 15 August alone, half a million converged on Czestochowa This film examines why 40 years of Communist rule in Poland have strengthened the Catholic Church's power and influence, and why the pilgrimage has become even more popular since the banning of Solidarity. Beginning in Gdansk, at the church of Lech Walesa , Everyman follows in the footsteps of the pilgrims and examines the faith of the Polish Catholics, their martyrs, their leaders and their adversaries.