ROMANIA, Sister M. Aenn Fischer. Romania is a very interesting country. A variety of people strive to live in harmony among each other with their own cultures, languages, and behaviors. The most important minorities include the Hungarians, gypsies, German, and Ukranians. Just twenty years ago, Romania was oppressed by the communist regimen. Since 1989 it has become politically close to the states of Western Europe, and it is a member of NATO (2004) and the European Union (2007).
Romania is situated in the Southeastern Europe; it belongs to the Lower Danube, and it has access to the Black Sea. Transylvania, Moldavia, Oltenia, Dobrogea, Manat and Crisana are among its most important regions.
Close to 87% of the population of the country is Orthodox, 5% is Catholic, 3.5% Protestant, 1% Greek Catholic, and 0.5% Baptist.
Faith is important to them, above all because they hope that God will help them with their needs. They experience existential, arbitrary uncertainty, and financial difficulties in their daily lives.
Schoenstatt emerges…
The German Sisters of Mary, who came from the Banat region, began their trips to Romania as the political situation allowed it. Their desire was to take Schoenstatt to their nation. For this reason they made contact with the bishops.
Bishop Kräuter in Temesvár was happy when the Sisters contacted him, and he placed a priest at their disposal; he continues to support the Schoenstatt work in Romania. Meanwhile approximately ten priests have sealed their Covenant of Love with the MTA.
The sisters visited parishes and schools in order to make contact with the youth, and there have been Girls’ Youth Groups since 1994. From these groups, seven Hungarian youth have found their vocation as Sisters of Mary. Family Groups and Mothers’ Groups have also been formed, and there are more than 300 Pilgrim MTAs on pilgrimage throughout the country. The Schoenstatt Movement in Romania is beginning, and it is developing.
Last year, the visit of the Pilgrim Auxiliary MTA to many places in Romania was a special event; presently the Auxiliary MTA is traveling throughout Europe and on September 8, 2012, it will be crowned as Queen of the New Evangelization.
Waiting for the Shrine
There is a great desire to have a Shrine, but they must wait for the MTA to give them a sign as to where She wants to have her throne.
They are diligently making contributions to the capital of grace as a gift for Jubilee 2014; this is symbolized by the strips of paper that are placed in a jar, and they will burned.
The ashes will be placed in the cornerstone of the first Romanian Shrine, whenever this becomes a reality.
The Holy Mass “in Covenant with Romania” will be transmitted through schoenstatt-tv.
Celina M. Garza: Spanish/English translation – Melissa Peña-Janknegt: English edit
