In Háromszék and Marosszék the tower of the Reformed church rises above many villages, topped with a star or a rooster. The plain interiors, painted ceilings and churchyards with carved grave posts of this faith, rooted here since the 16th century, are part of the Székely heritage.
- Where they live
- Háromszék and Marosszék
- Church organisation
- Reformed Church District of Transylvania, episcopal seat: Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca)
- Members
- A third of Covasna County’s population (2011); in 2021 nearly half a million people in Romania declared themselves Reformed, most of them in Mureș County
- Main feasts
- Reformation Day (31 October), new bread, new wine
The Reformation in Székely Land
The Reformation reached the Székely seats in the middle of the 16th century. Congregations took over the medieval churches and adapted them to their creed: they removed the altars and statues and whitewashed the murals. This is how many medieval paintings survived – under the plaster, from where restorers are uncovering them today.
The fortified church of Marosvásárhely, the city’s oldest building, passed to the Reformed congregation in the mid-16th century; during its latest restoration fragments of the St Ladislaus legend came to light on its wall.
How to recognise the church
- A star or a rooster on top of the tower. The star recalls the Star of Bethlehem; the rooster, as Albert Szenczi Molnár explained, is a call to repentance, just as the cock’s crow reminded Peter.
- There are no altarpieces or statues: attention is focused on the preaching of the Word.
- The pulpit stands at the centre, with a carved canopy above it and, in front of it, the communion table from which the Lord’s Supper is served.
- Decoration comes from the painted coffered ceiling, the painted gallery and the pews – with flowers, stars and inscriptions.
- Carved wooden grave posts often stand in the churchyard – more than seventy along the wall of the fortified church in Sepsiszentgyörgy.
If you attend a service
- The Sunday service usually begins between 10 and 11 in the morning and lasts about an hour.
- The sermon is at the heart of the service. The congregation sings the psalms and hymns together; the hymn numbers are shown on the board in the church.
- The Lord’s Supper is served on the major feasts and at the services for the new bread, the new wine and Reformation Day. As a guest, simply stay in your seat.
- In many villages men and women sit on separate sides: have a look around before you sit down.
- After the service the minister or the church warden is often happy to show you around – it is worth asking.
Feasts
- Around 20 AugustNew bread: thanksgiving for the new bread, with the Lord’s Supper
- 31 OctoberReformation Day, with a thanksgiving service and the Lord’s Supper in most congregations
- October–NovemberNew wine: thanksgiving for the new wine, with the Lord’s Supper
