The Franciscan Roman Catholic Church

 

The Franciscan Roman Catholic Church (in Hungarian "Ferences kolostor") in Turda, at 49 Avram Iancu street, was built between 1735-1737 by Franciscan Observant friars, as part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. The church's main worship is "St. King Ladislaus" (in Hungarian "Szent László király").

Next to the church is an old Roman Catholic monastery (currently non-functional), built between 1540-1550.

History: After the integration of Transylvania Principality into the Habsburg Empire through the Peace of Karlowitz (1699), the imperial policy of the Vienna Court aimed to facilitate the return of Roman Catholic orders expelled from the Transylvanian cities that have adopted Protestant Reform. This was intended to strengthen the Roman Catholic religion to ensure a link between the different countries of the House of Habsburg.

The establishment of Franciscan friars in Turda was supported by Roman Catholic believers in the Turda New neighborhood. In 1735, they bought the Gyárfás estate on the Cluj road from the Gergelyffy József and Kovács Zsuzsanna couples, on which they built the St. Ladislaus church. This ensured the definitive establishment of the Franciscan friars in this part of the city. In 1951, the friars were deported to Communist labor camps. The last member of the order, Father Izidor, took care of the building until his death in 1994.

In front of the church is a crucifix from 1895. On the base of the crucifix is inscribed "Facta est 1895" (“Made in the year 1895”).