Pope in Romania/Miercurea Ciuc Catholic churches to stay open all night for pilgrims

The Catholic churches in Miercurea Ciuc will stay open all night for the pilgrims who would wish to rest or just step into the worship places on their way to the Marian shrine in Sumuleu Ciuc, where Pope Francis will celebrate Mass on Saturday, on the second day of his apostolic visit to Romania. After the celebration of the Holy Liturgy on Friday evening, in the Sumuleu Ciuc Franciscan monastery, a night of prayer will begin. Pilgrims are also expected to attend religious service at the chapel of the Segítő Mária gymnasium as of 19:00 hrs, after which a prayer vigil led by the ecclesial movements will follow; around 4:00 in the morning the pilgrims will set off for the place where the Pontifical Liturgy will be celebrated. A spiritual preparation program for the pilgrims will start on Saturday morning at 6:00 hrs, with Marian prayers being offered and church songs performed; dozens of priests will be there to take confession from the faithful who wish to do so. The introduction to the Pontifical Liturgy starts at 9:45 and Pope Francis will arrive at the open-air shrine at 11:30, when the Divine Liturgy will begin. Hundreds of priests will co-celebrate Mass and the choir that will perform during the service is made of 100 people. The Sumuleu Ciuc shrine which is devoted to the Virgin Mary is among the oldest and most famous sites of pilgrimage in Central and Eastern Europe, attracting every year an impressive procession on the occasion of the Catholic Pentecost. The Franciscan church in Sumuleu Ciuc accommodates a 500-year-old wonder-working statue of the Virgin Mary, which will be moved for the first time after World War II from the worship place and taken to the altar where Pope Francis will celebrate Mass. On this occasion, the spiritual leader of the Catholic world will offer the Sumuleu Ciuc shrine a golden rose, which is the customary offering to all the major pilgrimage sites devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary.AGERPRES(RO - author: Gina Stefan, editor: Marius Fratila, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Maria Voican)