Our Lady of Csíksomlyó

Advocación mariana de Șumuleu Ciuc (Csíksomlyó) (Transilvania)

Documented history. The image of Our Lady of Csiksomló is a late gothic work, usually dating from 1510 y 1520 (around 1515-1520) and from the artistic circle of the Carpathian basin, when Transylvania was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Franciscan church of Csiksomló has been consolidated since the 16th century as a Catholic centre for the Hungarian population of the region, keeping the Latin faith in a context of strong political and religious tensions.

Main data

Origin and history

Documented history. The image of Our Lady of Csiksomló is a late gothic work, usually dating from 1510 y 1520 (around 1515-1520) and from the artistic circle of the Carpathian basin, when Transylvania was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Franciscan church of Csiksomló has been consolidated since the 16th century as a Catholic centre for the Hungarian population of the region, keeping the Latin faith in a context of strong political and religious tensions.

During modern and contemporary times, the sanctuary became the main spiritual reference place of the Székelythe Hungarian minority of Transylvania, especially in times of conflict or political change (disintegration from the Kingdom of Hungary, incorporation of Transylvania into Romania, totalitarian regimes of the 20th century). In 2019 the sanctuary acquired international relevance with the visit of Pope Franciscowho celebrated Mass there during his apostolic journey to Romania.

Tradition and legend. Local devotion presents the Virgin of Csiksomló as of the székely peopleassociated with the preservation of the Catholic faith in the face of wars, persecutions and border changes. There are particular thanks attributed to his intercession and tradition presents the great pilgrimage of Pentecost as a response of faith and gratitude to this maternal protection, although many specific details belong to the field of popular piety and are not critically documented.

The image and the sanctuary

The image. The Virgin of Csiksomló is a gothic wood size, polychrome, representing Mary standing with the Child Jesus in her arms, of the type "Virgin of the Sun" or Mulier amicta sole of the Apocalypse (woman in the sun), iconography that in local tradition is linked to the victory of the light of Christ over darkness. Various descriptions agree to point out that it is the major Marian statue of wood known, which highlights its artistic and devotional uniqueness within Central European art.

The sanctuary. The image is venerated in the Church of Pilgrimage of Csiksomló, Franciscan temple of Latin rite located in the district of Șumuleu Ciuc, today integrated in the city of Wednesday Ciucin Transylvania. The complex includes the church and conventual buildings, and is located in an area of hills where the great church Mass of Pentecost is held. The church is recognized as Marian sanctuary of pilgrimage, very linked to the Hungarian Catholic community, but it does not have the official title of minor basilica nor is it expressly defined as a "national" sanctuary by decree, although it in fact acts as a reference Marian centre for Hungarian Catholics in Romania.

Sponsorship and coronation

Patronage. Our Lady of Csiksomló is considered the spiritual heart of the Hungarian community székely in Transylvania and, in a broad way, a Marian symbol for many Hungarian-speaking Catholics in the Carpathian basin. The devotion is closely linked to the city of Miercurea Ciuc v Csíkszereda and the surrounding region, but in the sources consulted there is no formal pontifical decree to declare it national employer of Romania or a given territory; its patronage is mainly in the local and regional Hungarian community.

Canon coronation. In the documentation consulted does not contain a documented canonical coronation from the image to the classic mode (with blessed crowns and authorized by the Holy See by specific decree). However, the sanctuary has received a pontifical sign of great importance: the 1 June 2019during his visit to Romania, the Pope Francis granted Our Lady of Csiksomló the Golden Rose, a distinction reserved for some Marian shrines of particular relevance to the universal Church. This gesture underlines the spiritual weight of the advocation, although it does not formally replace a canonical coronation in the strict sense.

Party and devotion

Party and calendar. At the local level the main celebration linked to Our Lady of Csiksomló is lived around Pentecostwhen the great annual pilgrimage takes place. The concrete date varies each year, following the liturgical calendar, and the sanctuary then becomes a center of prayer, Mass and sacraments for many of the faithful of different countries.

Pilgrimage. The pilgrimage from Pentecost to Csiksomló is considered one of the most numerous Marian concentrations in Central and Eastern Europe: hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, mainly Hungarians of Romania and the diaspora, as well as faithful of Hungary and other countries of the Carpathian basin. Many pilgrimages take place on foot, following traditional routes, among which the Maria Ut o Via Mariae, a network of Marian spiritual roads that links various shrines of Central Europe and has as one of its great destinations Csiksomló.

Devotional traits. La devoción se caracteriza por: – Procesiones con banderas y cantos húngaros de alabanza a María. – Celebraciones eucarísticas campales en la colina cercana al santuario. – Expresión de identidad y unidad del pueblo székely y húngaro en torno a la fe católica.

Pope Francis' visit in 2019 reinforced the character of meeting and reconciliation between communities, highlighting how the Virgin of Csiksomló is a sign of unity between Catholics of different languages and cultures in Romania.

Link to the Rosary

In the sources consulted no specific or historical link of this advocation with the establishment of a fellowship of the Rosary, a particular feast of the Rosary or an official title related to this form of prayer. The devotion to Our Lady of Csiksomló focuses above all on the pilgrimage of Pentecost and in its role as protector of the székely people, with no unique documented traditions linked to the Rosary.

However, as in every Marian sanctuary of Latin Catholic tradition, the Rosary He usually accompanies the spiritual life of the place: it is simple and deep prayer in which the pilgrims, together with Mary, contemplate the mysteries of Christ's life. In a sanctuary marked by the memory of historical trials and the search for unity, the prayer of the Rosary is presented in a natural way as school of perseverance in faithof intercession for peace and communion among peoples, making the Virgin of Csiksomló also a mother and guide in the meditative prayer of the mysteries of the Lord.