Historic family heraldry and regional symbols were officially recognized for Hungarian communities in Romania. Continue reading
Around 300,000 pilgrims are expected to attend this year’s Feast of Șumuleu Ciuc (Csíksomlyó) on Pentecost Saturday, with road closures and security measures in place to protect the participants. A fundraising campaign has also been set up to help flood victims in Háromszék (Transylvania), MTI reported.
At the press conference held in the square in front of the Chapel of the Virgin Mary in Csíksomlyó, the director of the chapel, Sándor P. Astrik Timár, reminded everyone that “Our Lady of Csíksomlyó welcomes her children home,” and encouraged pilgrims to come as if they were returning home, as all conditions are in place for them to enjoy the experience of the pilgrimage.
He said pilgrims had already begun arriving for this year’s Pentecost pilgrimage on Thursday, with a large crowd expected on Friday. A Pilgrim Train will arrive at the Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda) station at noon on Friday, and a Mass will be celebrated for the pilgrims in the church.
At 4:30 p.m. on Friday, an exhibition presenting the heritage of the two national shrines—Csíksomlyó and Máriapócs—will open in the square in front of the church. At 5:00 p.m., the rosary will be broadcast from Csíksomlyó by Radio Maria and heard around the world. As for the liturgical program, the opening Mass will be held on Friday at 6:00 p.m., followed by a night vigil in the church. On Pentecost Saturday, a Holy Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 a.m. in the church.
A Himnuszokkal zárult az idei Csíksomlyói Búcsú ❤️ pic.twitter.com/TqfrQy05LG
— Vadhajtások.hu (@VadhajtasokHu) May 18, 2024
On Saturday, a Csángó Holy Mass will be held at 5:00 p.m. in the parish church of St. Peter and Paul, followed by a Pentecost Vigil Mass at 6:00 p.m. in the Kegytemplom. There will also be Holy Masses in the Kegytemplom on Pentecost Sunday at 7:00, 8:00, 10:30 a.m., and 6:00 p.m., and on Pentecost Monday at 8:00, 10:30 a.m., and 6:00 p.m.
The motto of this year’s Pentecost pilgrimage is “Pilgrims of Hope,” in line with the Jubilee Year proclaimed by the late Pope Francis.
Attila Korodi, mayor of Csíkszereda, said that the Szekler town was preparing for a joyful celebration. He explained that the safety of pedestrians was a priority, which is why most surrounding streets would be closed to traffic. For vehicles arriving from elsewhere, parking areas have been set up at the city’s entrances and in the industrial zone.
The organizers aim to welcome pilgrims in a well-organized and dignified environment,”
he said.
The Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Gergely Kovács of Alba Iulia (Gyulafehérvár), with the homily delivered by Alfréd György, a monk born in Sandominic (Csíkszentdomokos) and currently serving in Nyíregyháza.
He emphasized that the “greatest strength” of the pilgrimage is that pilgrims arrive at Mount Csíksomlyó for the Holy Mass in a spirit of shared respect and awareness and there they can share a common spiritual experience. Regarding weather conditions, he reassured attendees that there was no risk of flooding in Csíksomlyó and that they could travel in peace.
György Péter, the sectoral director of Caritas Gyulafehérvár, announced that for this year’s feast, a fundraising campaign has been set up for the flood victims in Háromszék, so that pilgrims can help victims in need. There will be several points where donations can be handed over, and there will also be posters with QR codes that can be scanned on mobile phones to donate to the account of Caritas Gyulafehérvár.
As Hungary Today has reported, President Tamás Sulyok will attend Holy Mass in Csíksomlyó on Saturday, June 7, and then visit Piatra Nierges (Nyergestető) on Monday for the unveiling of a memorial plaque dedicated to Szekler heroes.
Via MTI / Featured photo: Wikipedia
