Changes at the Máriapócs Monastery in Hungary

Recently, the monks of the Order of Saint Basil the Great of Saint Josaphat concluded their ministry at the Monastery of Saint Basil the Great in Máriapócs.

This decision is connected to a change in ownership of the monastery complex in Máriapócs. In the final days of 2024, the Basilian monks received official notification from the state authorities of Hungary stating that the monastery complex in Máriapócs, which had previously belonged to the Province, was first nationalized and subsequently transferred into the ownership of the Hajdúdorog Archdiocese. This transfer was based on a request submitted by Péter Fülöp Kocsis, Metropolitan Archbishop and Head of the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church.

This decision came as a surprise in light of existing canonical and legal norms, as well as due to the absence of any prior verbal or written communication regarding the process of transferring ownership.

In response, the Major Superiors of the Order undertook the necessary steps both in civil and ecclesiastical legal spheres. Unfortunately, these efforts did not produce the expected results, and ownership was not restored to the Province of Saint Stephen in Hungary. After a careful assessment of the circumstances, it was determined that the Basilian monks residing in the Máriapócs monastery are currently unable to properly carry out the mission of the Order within the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church. Therefore, they were compelled to leave the monastery premises and continue their ministry in other houses of the Order.

At the same time, this decision is determined solely by the circumstances of the present moment. The Order of Saint Basil the Great does not renounce its right to the monastery complex and remains open to the possibility of returning to Máriapócs, a monastery closely connected with the Order since 1749. In this way, the future ministry of the Basilian monks within the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church may continue to bear spiritual fruit through the proclamation of the Gospel to all who seek Christ, leading them to a life of unity with God through His Word, prayer, and the Holy Mysteries.

A Brief History of the Basilian Monastery in Máriapócs

The presence of the Order of Saint Basil the Great in Máriapócs dates back to 1749. The founder of the monastery was Count Ferenc Károlyi, who established it in thanksgiving to God for saving his life during a battle with the Turks near Bilhorod. In the founding charter, he granted full ownership of both the monastery and the church to the Basilian monks.

In Máriapócs, the Basilian Fathers carried out pastoral ministry by administering the local parish and conducting numerous missions and retreats. This is confirmed by many documents preserved in the monastery archives. A school also functioned at the monastery, forming students who later became notable cultural and ecclesiastical figures. A novitiate was also established there.

A special place in the monastery’s history is held by the icon of the Mother of God. The first miracles attributed to the Most Holy Theotokos, venerated in this icon, were recorded in writing on November 4, 1696. After thorough investigation by a special Church commission, these miracles and healings were recognized as being caused by divine supernatural power. From that time, Máriapócs (formerly called Pócs) became a center of major international pilgrimages, drawing around 100,000 pilgrims annually, and its fame spread throughout Europe.

Later, the icon was transferred to Vienna, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where it was placed for veneration in St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where it remains to this day. A copy of the icon remained in Máriapócs and also became renowned for miracles, including the well-known event of tears flowing from the icon.

In 1715, Pope Pius VI granted the monastery the privilege of a Plenary Indulgence on five Marian feast days. Due to the large influx of pilgrims, it became necessary to construct a stone church in place of the original wooden one. The cornerstone was laid in 1749, and the church was solemnly consecrated in 1756. After years of hardship, the church was restored in 1946. In 1948, Pope Pius XII elevated it to the rank of a Minor Basilica, granting it corresponding privileges. An important event in its history was the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1991. Numerous pilgrimages, attended by thousands of faithful, as well as offerings of gold and silver votive gifts, testify that the Mother of God, venerated in the Máriapócs icon, hears the prayers of the faithful and obtains many graces for them.

Until 1947, the Máriapócs monastery belonged to the Province of Saint Nicholas in Transcarpathia. After receiving a detailed report on the state of the Basilian Fathers in Hungary, the General Administration of the Order petitioned the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Churches to canonically establish a Hungarian Province. By a letter dated October 19, 1946, the Congregation entrusted the Primate of Hungary, Cardinal József Mindszenty, with organizing a vote and proclaiming the composition of the Provincial Administration on behalf of the Apostolic See. This took place on March 7, 1947.

Monks of various nationalities underwent formation in Máriapócs. Among them was the Servant of God Leon Iulian Manu (1883-1958), a hieromonk of the Province of Saints Peter and Paul in Romania. After completing his formation, he devoted himself to restoring monastic life in Romania and to dedicated pastoral service among Romanian Greek Catholics in the United States. His beatification process began in 2018.

In 1950, the communist atheist regime suppressed the monastery in Máriapócs and others in Hungary, and their property was nationalized. Nevertheless, monastic life continued both underground and abroad. During the events of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, three scholastics left the country and later established a Basilian center dedicated to Our Lady of Máriapócs near Matawan, New Jersey, USA. From 1971, this community was led by Fr. József Erdei. The Basilians there actively carried out their monastic and pastoral ministry, organizing youth camps and fostering devotion to the Máriapócs Mother of God.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Hungarian Basilians returned to their Province to continue serving the faithful and to restore monastic life in Máriapócs. In 1990, a written agreement was concluded between the Hajdúdorog Diocese and the Order, regulating relations between the monastery, parish, and pilgrimage center. This document emphasized the need for harmonious cooperation between the Metropolitan Church and the Province. It also confirmed the Order’s ownership of the monastery and supported the return of the monastic community to Máriapócs.

On December 3, 2005, Cardinal Péter Erdő, President of the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference, acting as a special envoy of the Holy Father, proclaimed the church in Máriapócs a national shrine. Prior to this, the Bishops’ Conference approved the shrine’s statutes, and on June 6, 2005, an agreement had been signed between the Province of Saint Stephen and the Hajdúdorog Diocese regarding the governance of the shrine.

Due to a decrease in the number of monks, in 2020 the General Administration of the Basilian Order placed the Province of Saint Stephen in Hungary under the care of the Provincial Superior of the Province of Saint Nicholas in Ukraine. In order to strengthen monastic life and pastoral ministry among Hungarian Greek Catholics, several monks were sent to Máriapócs. They began studying the Hungarian language and the cultural and liturgical traditions of the local Church in order to better serve the unity of the Order and of the entire Catholic Church.

In 2025, the apostolate of the Basilian Fathers in Máriapócs faced new challenges from the Hungarian state authorities. Without regard for the specifics of Church law and without prior notice, an official letter was issued stating that the monastery complex in Máriapócs was being transferred into the ownership of the Hajdúdorog Archdiocese. This decision was based on a request submitted by Archbishop Péter Fülöp Kocsis.

Despite numerous efforts by the Superiors of the Order to preserve ownership, a proper resolution could not be achieved. In light of these circumstances, the monks of the Order of Saint Basil the Great of Saint Josaphat were compelled to leave their historic buildings and transfer administration to the new owner. This transfer took place on March 30, 2026.

At the same time, the Basilian monks remain ready to return to ministry in Máriapócs if suitable conditions are provided for fulfilling their mission – namely, the proclamation of the Gospel within the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church in accordance with the statutes of the Order approved by the Apostolic See.