In Székelyudvarhely, the participants of the Ferences Bike Tour (FerBitT) woke up early in order to complete the last stage of the pilgrimage on time. According to the tight schedule of the program on Sunday, August 1st, they had to arrive at Csíksomlyo, at the church, at half past twelve. However, climbing the hills of Hargita was not an easy task after the previous four days, during which they completed 250 kilometers per day.
Despite this, the team coped well and arrived on time at the Hármaskereszt monument on Tolvajos-tető, where Csaba Borboly, the chairman of the Hargita county council, was waiting for them in addition to representatives of the press and several well-known personalities. They greeted the cyclists and spoke appreciatively about the mission undertaken by the 14th Ferences Bike Tour. On the outskirts of Csíkszereda, Attila Korodi, the town's mayor, joined them and together they started up the mountain saddle.
The Hármashalom altar welcomed those who arrived accompanied by the Csíkszentsimon brass band in festive preparation. Led by the brave Pálos monk Botond, the Motorcycle Pálos also paraded on their huge vehicles. The 350 motorcycles parked in front of the shrine provided an impressive sight. In the meantime, the pilgrims on horseback also trotted up the mountain, and together with the arriving families and other interested parties, a celebratory crowd of almost three thousand people formed. The 85 Franciscan pilgrims and their bicycles took their place in the middle of the sanctuary, as the holiday was about them and them, as well as their mission, which they undertook in the announcement of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress. The main patron of the event, alpine skier Edit Miklós, greeted the gathering and expressed his joy that sports and religious life can be so closely connected. Brother Imre Főcze Bonaventura said that in today's dynamically changing world, balance can only be maintained if we are in momentum and remain in momentum. This is very similar to how we ride a bicycle.
Parking motorcyclists/Source: magyarkurir.hu
In his homily, brother Csaba Böjte also confirmed that a lot of strength is needed to undertake the mission and to complete it. He said that he didn't really want to ride a bike, but the cycling community "sniffed" him in, and for almost two-thirds of the way he rode with the rest of the field. However, his average fitness for his age would not have been sufficient for this performance: the electric micromotor hidden in the bike helped a lot. This is similar to how our life energies are renewed in the love of Jesus Christ. However, as long as the small engine suddenly dies, the source of the love of the Lord Jesus is inexhaustible, and he thinks that if we can always count on and count on this support from Him, then we should accept His invitation when He says to meet Him in Budapest.
Young people making sacrifices at the Hármashalom altar/Photo: magyarkurir.hu/László Gulyás
Just as the field of the 14th Ferences Bicycle Tour was represented by all Székelyföld landscape units, the crowd gathered in the saddle showed a similar composition, but believers came from the more distant regions of Transylvania, Hungary, and even the Highlands. The five-day trip and series of events have ended, FerBiT has completed its mission this year; "However, his spirituality lives in us, his spirituality works in us, and we hope that our momentum will last until the next one, as we move forward and continue on the road," the participants say.
Source: magyarkurir.hu
Featured photo: László Gulyás
