15 August Assumption of St. Mary: Important Celebration for the Christians
This is the most important celebration dedicated to the Mother of God, and lots of pilgrimages are taking place
Articol de Remus Rădulescu, 15 August 2017, 19:41
Christians, both Orthodox and Catholic, celebrate today one of their most important religious events: Assumption into Heaven of St.Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ. This day is marked each year by special religious ceremonies and pilgrimages all across the country.
For Christians, the Mother of God enjoys the greatest honor in Heaven, after the Holy Trinity. She gave birth to the Son of God as a man, and when she died, she was raised with her body to Heaven.
The strong belief of the Church that the dead body of Virgin Mary has not remained in the tomb is based on a pastoral tradition from the early Christian ages. St. Thomas the Apostle was not present at Mary’s funeral in Jerusalem, he arrived at the place after three days. Wishing to see the Mother of God one more time, he opened the tomb and found that her body was gone, hence the belief that the Mother of God was raised to Heaven in spirit and body.
The Assumption of the Virgin is the patronage of most of the monasteries in Romania, so today's celebration is the occasion of the greatest pilgrimages at several churches and monasteries.
One of the most important places of pilgrimage in Transylvania is Nicula Monastery, in Cluj County. According to RRA Correspondent Claudiu Pădurean, this monastery is the place where thousands of people of Orthodox and Greek Catholic religion gather each year on August 15, to pray at the miracle-working Holy Icon of Mary Mother of God. This icon, painted by the Romanian Priest Luca from Iclod in 1681, is said to have cried for 26 days in 1699. Thousands of pilgrims are attracted by this icon every year, as it is said that many people were healed of various diseases after praying in front of it.
“Each year on August 15, I come here, to this holy place, to pray for the good of my family”, one of the pilgrims said.
Other places where Romanians are going on this special day are Putna Monastery in Suceava County, Tismana Monastery in Gorj County, Sâmbata de Sus Monastery (Brâncoveanu Monastery) in Brașov County.
Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei
