Nicula village, Cluj county on the occasion of the feast of “Sfânta Mărie Mare” (Assumption of the Virgin Mary) – August 15th
The Nicula Monastery, famous for its miracle-working icon of the Mother of God with the Child, is located a few kilometers away from the town of Gherla, in the village of Nicula, between wooded hills. The icon of the Mother of God here, around which the pilgrimage developed, was painted in 1681, by the painter priest Luca, from the village of Iclod. The pilgrimage to the Nicula Monastery is a confessional event, which combines specific elements of the Orthodox religion with folk manifestations and beliefs.
Every year, on August 15th, when the monastery celebrates its patron saint, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, thousands of pilgrims, both from the country and from abroad, gather in the meadows around the church.
The journey took a day or several days, depending on the village where the group of pilgrims came from.
In ancient times, pilgrims travelled over 150 kilometers on foot to the Nicula Monastery, to pray and worship the Miracle-Working Icon of the Mother of God. The custom is still preserved today. After spending time in prayer at the monastery, the pilgrims return home on foot.
Now, on the eve of the holiday, the traditional pilgrimage Up the Hill of Nicula ( “La Nicula colo-n deal)” is organized and thousands of believers gather from all over the country. The procession starts from the “Saint Nicholas” church, in the central park of the town of Gherla. From there, pilgrims walk to the wooden church within the premises of the Nicula Monastery.
The old wooden church is surrounded by pilgrims, walking on elbows and knees as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of their sins.
