On 12th of September, on the name day of Mary, at the Salvator Hotel and Conference Centre in Șumuleu Ciuc, the three-day-long conference was organized in collaboration with the Franciscan order, Harghita County Council, the Catholic Archbishopric of Alba Iulia, the Transylvanian Way of Mary Organization and the Hungarian Way of Mary Organization. The event is the integral part of Recultivatur international project funded by the European Union. It contributes to the realization of the Together for a stable future! framework programme of Harghita County Council and its tourism strategy. The project period is in between 2011 and 2014, having its main goal the integration of religious and cultural values into city-centers’, town-networks’ and related rural areas’ development strategies, as well as the preparation of best practice exchanges between the project partners, networking and investments.
At the official opening, Mr. Csaba Borboly, president of Harghita County Council talked about the importance of the Way of Mary – Via Mariæ and about the need for affection, respect and concern amongst local people.
-This “way” needs to have great proceeds first of all in our souls and in our personalities. I hope that the local politicians will go through this road to Odorheiu Secuiesc, and the ones from Odorheiu Secuiesc will come to Miercurea Ciuc, Gheorgheni or to the neighboring counties. I think that we will experience a spiritual charge if we go through the Way of Mary – Via Mariæ. I believe that I’m not telling anything new by stating that in this globalized world, during the battles for money and power there is a need for such a soul-charging road. Let’s plan our days in the name of love, mutual respect and caring for each other! – stated the president, mentioning as an example Mr. Mayor, András Gergely, who completed the El Camino pilgrimage by foot.
Further speeches were held at the official opening by Mr. Szabolcs Orbán, provincial leader of the Franciscan order, Mr. Barna Pál Zsigmond, Consul General of Hungary in Miercurea Ciuc, Mr. Attila Antal, vice-mayor of the municipality Miercurea Ciuc and Mr. László Hegyi, Cabinet Director of the State Secretariat for Church, Civil Society and Nationality Affairs of the Ministry of Human Resources.
On behalf of Harghita County Council regarding the project it was presented that ‘The Way of Mary – Via Mariæ is an initiative that is capable of bringing together the concerned partners for a common goal and integrating the touristic innovations. The project’s goal is the use of financial and spiritual legacy, local values, human resources and infrastructure in a way that creates jobs and incomes for the involved regions.’
The conference was followed by clerical, political and civil representative’s round-table discussion.
The Way of Mary – Via Mariæ spiritual tourist itinerary and pilgrimage was built out of respect to the Holy Mary by the East-European people, but, simultaneously, it connects through its road network not only the Mary-shrines, but the historical, cultural values along it, without religious biases. Its goal is to create a tourist route and pilgrimage-network unifying religious values in the involved regions of Europe, establishing a religious connection between Mariazell, Budapest, Máriapócs and Șumuleu Ciuc along the East-West direction, and between Czestochowa, Esztergom, Budapest and Medjugorje along the South-North direction. The Way of Mary – Via Mariæ shapes a cross on the map of Europe involving Austria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina and, thus, creating a pilgrimage-network that is built on local tradition resembling the El Camino pilgrimage.
Miercurea Ciuc, 13th of September 2013
Leave a Reply