Romania: In the Footsteps of the Apostle Andrew
Part 1: Romania at a Glance
From Good Shepherd Tours, welcome back! Having visited Lithuania, we head south towards Romania as we continue our tour of sacred places of pilgrimage in Europe in a three-part series.
As the Twelve Apostles came and went across their known world to preach the gospel and proclaim the faith of Christianity, it is said that the Apostle Andrew came to the land of Scythia, including the region of Sarmatia, which amongst other lands includes the eastern parts of what is today Romania. Indeed, in the interior region of Constanța district along the Romanian coast of the Black Sea, two different caves are connected with the legend of the Apostle Andrew in his ministry, one in Dobruja and another in Ion Corvin. While these tales may be apocryphal in nature, there is no doubt of the great love the Romanian people hold to the Apostle Andrew as ”Apostle to Romania”, with his feast held as a national holiday (November 30th).
Romania, bordering Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Ukraine, is a land of immense natural beauty, and ancient history, with the people proudly claiming their uniqueness from their mostly Slavic neighbors through their Latin-based language. Romania is now considered the most religiously observant nation in all of Europe. While more than 85% of its 19 million citizens are members of the Romanian Orthodox Church, approximately 10% belong to either the Roman Catholic or Greek Catholic Church, with most of the Roman Catholics being Hungarians in Transylvania, with remainders of the population being Protestant or non-denominational. Since the end of Communism in late 1989, faith has once again blossomed throughout the country. Church-building occurs at a pace in Romania faster than practically anywhere else in Europe, with the largest Orthodox church in the world being planned in the capital Bucharest, The People’s Salvation Cathedral, still under construction. Planned for well over a century and a half and in continous construction since 2010, this massive domed cathedral will reach over 440 feet in height, has the world’s largest free-swinging bell, and is capable of holding tens of thousands of worshippers at the same time. Ornate with mosaics and its gold-colored copper domes, the cathedral will be dedicated to the feast of the Ascension of Christ and the Apostle Andrew.
Across all of Romania, beautiful churches, monasteries and simple village and country chapels tucked away in the valleys and hills in the Carpathian Mountains, and among the plains, all give testimony to the faith of Romania. Also of great importance are roadside crosses, ranging from the simple to the intricate, and time-honored traditions such as Romanian caroling during Christmas time, hand-painted glass icons depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary, scenes from the Bible and the lives of the saints, and Romanian feast day traditions that include a love of food, dance, music, elaborate folk costumes and above all, the Romanian love for life, lived in the moment, as those of the Latin language family are best known for.
In the next two blogs, we will be taking a journey through the regions of Bukovina, Maramureș and Transylvania to discover just a portion of the religious and cultural heritage of this beautiful, captivating land. Bun venit – welcome to Romania!
Be Not Afraid!
Good Shepherd Travel offers trips to Romania as part of their Holy Land tours. Rome, Lourdes, Fatima, Ireland, and many other destinations are among our most popular programs. For more information on how to begin preparing for a pilgrimage in late 2021 and 2022, contact Tony AbuAita at Tony@goodshepherdtravel.com. We will return to pilgrimage – and we hope to see you with us!