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Catholic Shrines & Places of Interest in Hungary

Hungary has a long Catholic history dating back to the year 895 AD, when the country was formed from a federation of tribes. But in the year 1000 AD, Steven of Hungary was crowned and became one of the most advanced rulers of Hungary….and all of Europe.  Saint Stephen had been a pagan who converted to Christianity, and ruled from 1000-1038 A.D.  When crowned in the year 1000, he held up the crown during the coronation Mass to offer it to “Nagyboldogasszony” (“Our Lady”) in order to seal a divine covenant between the Blessed Virgin Mary and the people of Hungary.

The impact of his life upon the country cannot be under-estimated. His reign was marked by great devotion to God and to ruling his Kingdom with justice.  He decreed that every 10th town in the kingdom should have a church and during his reign he built many monasteries and churches. His Feast Day is celebrated on August 16.

Since his reign, of course, most of the country has been ravaged not only by the Ottoman Turks, but the two world wars of the 20th century and also by the oppressive rule of Communism. Yet, the Church in Hungary has survived all this.

Now, the country has begun to be one of Eastern Europe’s more popular tourist destinations. Unspoiled and not over-run with tourists, it draws increasing numbers of visitors each year.  And, many sites of interest to Catholics are now open to pilgrims and tourists.

A note about currency in Hungary:

Although the Europe may be accepted in some places (but not at a very good exchange rate), the official currency in Hungary is the Florint.

Among the many sites of interest in the Hungary are the following:

Budapest:     Cathedral of Saint Stephen, Inner City Church, Holy Spirit Church  Our Lady of Remete (Budapest suburbs)

Esztergom: Cathedral of Esztergom

Gyor: Cathedral of Gyor and Miraculous Image of Our Lady

Mariapocs:  Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapocs

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