Romanian Icon

[Guest guest]

Here's some more info about the history of the weeping icon that Sri Swamiji

visited in Romania.

Daria

Holy Weeping Icon Of Mother Of God, From The Monastery Of Nicula, Romania

 

 

Earlier in the month of December 2000, I had a discussion with the

Reverend Presbyter Demetrios Serfes in Boise, Idaho USA, and sent him a copy at

his humble request for the Weeping Icon of the Mother of God, at the Nicula

Monastery, I also indicated to Father Demetrios I would send him more

information about the holy icon.

As I humbly present you this spiritual account of the weeping icon of the

Mother of God, I piously ask for your prayers, and remembers you in prayer.

 

Through the most holy treasures that have enlightened the life of the

Orthodox Christians from Translvania, is the Holy Icon of the Mother of God from

the Romanian Orthodox Nicula Monastery. Around this Holy Icon have gathered, as

to bastion of freedom and peace, generations and generations of Romanian

Orthodox Christians. For more than three centuries, the most venerated icon has

brought comfort and support to many shattered souls that prayed before it.

 

The history of the holy relic begins in 1681 with the pious priest Luca

(Luka) from Iclod. He continued an old tradition of these places, painting icons

for the faithful, true Scriptures given to the people for eternity. After a few

years the Holy Icon was brought from the priest by a peasant and given to the

church in Nicula. On the 15th of February 1694, a few Austrian officers came

into the church while they were admiring the Holy Icon they saw it was weeping.

real tears were coming out of the eyes of the Holy Mother of God. They ran and

brought the priest and all the villagers and they all saw the tears that were

falling on the ground. The Holy Icon kept weeping for 26 days, people would come

and wipe the tears. There were many sick people that came touched the tears and

were healed and none of the ones that saw the Holy Icon died of a violent death.

 

After many years the icon was taken by a Hungarian count to his castle,

but the Romanian peasants asked it back and threatened the count with the

burning of his castle if the icon was not returned. The Emperor from Wien

decided that the icon will be put in a new church which will be a part of a

monastery, built by the count, close to the Nicula village. The count built the

church on the hills above Nicula and put the icon there.

 

In 1948 when the communists came to power in Romania, the Romanian

Orthodox Church was persecuted, priests were imprisoned, churches burned to

ashes and people were not allowed to go to pray or attend the Holy Services. The

monks from Nicula were scared that the icon be again taken away from them, so

they hid it in a small village near the monastery. It stood there for almost

twenty years, but finally the authorities found out about it.

 

The most pious Bishop Teofil of Cluj took it away from the hands of the

atheists and brought it to the chapel of the Orthodox Theological Seminary of

Cluj where it stayed until all the evil ones perished. On the 24th of March 1992

in one of the most incredible pilgrimages the icon was taken back to the

Monastery of Nicula. Everyone walked more than 30 miles to get to the Monastery,

singing hymns to the Theotokos all the way to the Monastery. Every year on the

15th of August, hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Christians gather at the Holy

Monastery of Nicula and praise the Icon and venerate the Holy Mother of God.

Throughout the centuries, the Holy Icon has made many miracles, to all that came

to ask for help and guidance.

 

For me, going on the pilgrimage to the Holy Monastery of Nicula is the

most moving moment of the year. Everywhere you look, there are people praising

and singing, everyone's eyes are glowing with joy. The Earth is united with

Heaven in prayer. Glory be to God for all things!

 

Seminarian Marius Balo Cluj-Napoca, Romania