On Saturday, June 21, around 300 men and women religious from across Romania gathered at the Marian shrine of Șumuleu Ciuc for the National Pilgrimage of Consecrated Life. The event was organized as part of the Jubilee 2025 celebrations by the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life in Romania (CSMR) and the Romanian Conference of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CRSM).
Representing the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life were Fr. Krzysztof Gierat, C.M.F., and Dr. Rosalba Rossi. The highlight of the day was the Eucharistic celebration, presided over by Archbishop Giampiero Gloder, Apostolic Nuncio to Romania, together with Bishop Ioan Călin Bot, Greek-Catholic Bishop of Lugoj and head of the Commission for Consecrated Life within the Romanian Episcopal Conference, along with several other bishops and priests.
In the afternoon, participants attended a conference led by Fr. Gierat and Dr. Rossi, followed by an interactive session and a concluding walking pilgrimage to a nearby parish church. There, the attendees entrusted themselves to the Virgin Mary in an act of consecration.
The event, open to all the faithful, has as theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” inviting reflection on consecrated life in the context of the Jubilee Year. Several key themes were explored: Hope born from trust in God, even in challenging times; The vocation to fraternity, discernment, and synodality; The call to be prophets of hope on the margins of society. Three pathways were highlighted for uniting hope and peace: commitment to the poor, care for creation, and universal fraternity.
Today, in Romania, where Catholics make up about 4% of the population, there are 47 female and approximately 30 male religious institutes, encompassing both active and contemplative communities. Following the suppression of religious orders by the communist regime in 1948, consecrated life has experienced a profound renewal since 1990.
The final invitation extended to all consecrated men and women was to live this Jubilee as a genuine journey of personal and communal renewal, under the loving gaze of Mary, Mother of Hope.
