St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church
History
The church was built between 1753-57 on the site of the old Gothic church (1498), enlarged in 1629.
The parish of Gyergyószentmiklós existed already at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. The first mention of Gorgio is found in contemporary documents in 1333. The ancient origins of the parish and church of Gyergyószentmiklós are documented in the Missale, a religious missal from 1428. The town was named after the church dedicated to St. Nicholas (Miklós).
The first church of the settlement was built in the late 15th century in Gothic style. The medieval church was enlarged in 1629 on the initiative of parish priest Ferenczi György. The church was damaged during the Tatar invasion of 1661. No major restoration was carried out.
The new church was built in Baroque style between 1756-1773 in the place of the old church, which had proved to be small, under the parish priest Sikó József. The architect was Fogarassy György. In 1869, major repairs were made to the church.
Since 1990, St Nicholas' Day processions have been held in the town. In 1995, during the renovation of the tower, a sundial with Latin inscriptions was discovered on the south wall.
The tower, with its clock and 4 bells, was raised three times, as indicated by the engraved dates 1733, 1756, 1837.
The high altar made in 1780, the side altar and the pulpit have Baroque style, while the St. Anthony altar has Rococo features. In the sanctuary there is a statue of St Nicholas, the patron saint of the church. Below him is the crowned figure of the Blessed Virgin.
The altar of St John of Nepomuk was made from the donation of the Armenian Lukács János in 1776, and the altar of St John the Baptist from the donation of Lukács Jakab in 1775.
The neo-Gothic organ, made by Kollonits István, was bought for the church in 1877 by Bishop Fogarassy Mihály of Transylvania, who was born in Gyergyószentmiklós.
The church is surrounded by a stone wall, the construction of which was first mentioned in 1657, then rebuilt in 1756, and the adjacent cemetery was enlarged. On the wall surrounding the church sits a painted stone statue of St John of Nepomuk.
In front of the church, in the centre line of Márton Áron Street, stands the statue of Bishop Mihály Fogarassy of Transylvania.