Latin-rite Catholics in Romania are members of an ethnic Hungarian minority, a small community surrounded by Orthodox Christians in one of Europe’s most religiously observant societies. Catholics live mostly in homogenous enclaves in the eastern part of the Transylvania region. There is a sense that these areas are a kind of Catholic homeland. There is a widely-known legend (believed by many ordinary Catholics to be historically true) that the Virgin Mary appeared to a group of Catholics defending this region against an invading Protestant army. An annual pilgrimage to the site of this apparition helps bolster the sense that Catholicism has a “home” in this region.
In the Journal of Global Catholicism
Marc Roscoe Loustau, "Radio Maria Transylvania: National Representation, Prayer, and Intersubjectivity in a Growing Catholic Media Network," Journal of Global Catholicism 3, no. 2 (2019): 64-87, DOI: 10.32436/2475-6423.1056.
Zsofia Lovei, "Breaching Boundaries: Homogenizing the Dichotomy between the Sacred and Profane in Csíksomlyó," Journal of Global Catholicism 4, no. 2 (2020): 8-35, DOI: 10.32436/2475-6423.1074.
Erika Vass, "Radna: The Holy Shrine of the Multinational Banat Region (Romania)," Journal of Global Catholicism 4, no. 2 (2020): 108-135, DOI: 10.32436/2475-6423.1077
Read more
Marc Roscoe Loustau, "Risking a Miracle: Transcendentally-Oriented Improvisation and Catholic Charismatics’ Involvement in a Transylvanian Canonization," The Journal of Contemporary Religion 31 (2016): 335-50, https://doi.org/10.1080/13537903.2016.1206229.
Articles
In the News
- A message to Pope Francis: Be wary of right-wing populists when you visit Romania - America Magazine - April 19, 2019