Horvat, Irina Liuba: Icoane din colecţia Muzeului Judeţean Satu Mare (Satu Mare, 2014)
Introduction
Mare County? In a letter of Count Károlyi mailed on April, 26, 1761 the archivist noted that it was received on May 2, 1761 in Mukacevo. Therefore the Bishop was still at his residence on May 2nd in Mukacevo, where he left as he said, about one week after he got the address of Count Pálffy on April 17108, stopping first at Máriapócs and then going to Carei, where together with Count Antal Károlyi planned the strategy to be followed to save the unity of religion.109 On May 5, 1761 in Carei he publised the document for convocation of priests, cantors and representatives from Carei villages for May 10, the day of the Holy Apostle Simon Zilotul. There was one more note on the document, probably belonging to the archivist, on May 15 saying that "Note of the bishop of Olsavszky of Munkaciu at the end of the visit of Satu Mare county sent by the Committee" and also on the back there is an order of Count Antal Károlyi that the legal representatives of the villages were mandatory called to the gathering of Carei, on May 15 Romanian version and May 16 Slavic version. Probably that in these first days of May, the Bishop as well as the Earl, came with another strategy for gathering of believers in a group, firstly postponing the date of the first gathering on May 21, following that during this time the bishop to put in place a strategy with which to reach the hearts of the belivers who have expressed clearly their desire to terminate any connection with the Greek Catholic Bishop in the months March-April 1761. The same as the inhabitants of Dindeşti, Andrid, Resighea, Sanislău, Tiream, Vezendiu, Portiţa, Irina.110 That is why in the period up to the meeting in Carei on May 21, the Bishop Michael Olsavszky traveled in 10 villages, as he says, to talk to people and to prepare the strategy to follow. The villages are those that really expressed the desire to return to orthodoxy: Ghenci, Tiream, Vezendiu, Portiţa, Irina, Dindeşti, Andrid, Resighea, Sanislău and Ciumeşti111. It is possible that this time of information and analysis made him realize that not all the villages in the county coverted to Orthodoxy. This is the reason that makes him not to call for meetings the priests of Oas and Baia Mare district to gathering he is in charge with youon May 21 at Carei and May 25 at Satu Mare where there were no special events in the years 1760-1761, as evidenced in a letter to Count Nicholae Pálffy where he talks about the meeting in Satu Mare on May 25, 1761, and recalls that "Districtus porro Avassiensis et N<agy> Banyensis sicut nullum ad Sophronia nos impostores recursum facerat”. (on the other hand, such as district of Oas and Baia Mare, nobody returned to the impostors of Sophronie)112. There are other villages that did not have any kind of meetings being faithful to Greek Catholic Church: Curtuişeni, Merk, Fábiánháza113, Petya, Peleşu Mare114, Băbăşeşti115, Potău116, Apateu117, Cărăşeu118, Seini119. 108He got the address in April 25 as reflected in the letter note. This is why he has gone on May 3 in Mukachevo and noton May 14 as declared Petrov, op.cit., II, p. 68. ,09The State Archives of Transcarpathian Region, fond 151, opis 1, f. 4. 110A Petrov, op.cit.,11, p. 32. ,11The State Archives of Transcarpathian Region, fond 151, opisl, dos. 1711, f. 4. He names these journeys "excursio Ep<isco>palis”. 112lbidem, f. 27-29. Letter dated June 1st 1761. 113Ibidem, f. 13 "There were no noises taying in what was until now”. 114Ibidem, "Stant, nullo habita tumultu”. "slbidem, "Stant, stabuntque absque omni tumultu”. mlbidem, "Stant, nullo excitate tum<ultu>". 117Ibidem, f. 9 V "Stant, nullo habita tumultu”. 118Ibidem, f. 9v "Stant ut steterunt absque omni tum<ultu>". 119Ibidem, "Stant nullo habito tum<ultu> stabuntque impost”. 26
