The Pentecost Pilgrimage, Şumuleu
Şumuleu-Ciuc is 3 km away from the center of the city of Miercurea Ciuc, in the valley of Şumuleu river, overseen by the beech-covered mountains of Şumuleu Mic (834 meters) and Şumuleu Mare(1033 meters). Şumuleu Ciuc stands as the spiritual center of Ciuc region. It is a well-known pilgrimage place for Roman Catholics, and also the seat of the Franciscan Order of Transylvania. At Pentecost, it serves as the meeting place of the Roman Catholic Szeklers and Csángós. These days, however, people of other Christian faiths also join them. Since 1990, on Whitsaturday, thousands of people go on pilgrimage to Şumuleu Ciuc to pay homage to the Holy Virgin, but there is also a constant flow of tourists during the year.
Şumuleu Ciuc represents an attraction due to its historical past and monuments. The monument composition found here is unique in Transylvania, with its “pièce de la résistance” being the statue of the Virgin; a masterpiece of XVI century ecclesiastic architecture. This was the place where after a series of unfortunate events the inhabitants of the region prayed for the mercy of God. The miracle worker Virgin Mary from Şumuleu Ciuc (also called the Csángos’ Babba Maria), gave new hope and strength to the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, becoming the symbol of Szeklers’ solidarity and perpetuation on these land.