Paper short abstract:

The paper explores the process whereby a Hungarian seer, who has had visions of Jesus since 1993, manages to meet the expectations of her followers for a greater inclusion of the Virgin Mary in the cultic life of the group while also maintaining her unique emphasis on Jesus Christ.

Paper long abstract:

During the past almost two centuries the world has witnessed a multitude of Marian visions, so much so that the period has often been characterized as the Age of Mary. In this sea of Marian apparitions a Hungarian seer --living in a Southern Hungarian village-- has had visions of Jesus Christ since 1993. Since the following year, she has relived His passion on the first Friday of each month (weekly during Lent). After s/he dies on the cross, Jesus speaks through her to those present -- on each occasion comprising roughly 140 to 160 faithful. Although she continues to see Jesus Christ, over the course of the history of the group, the figure of the Virgin Mary has become more prominent than it was at the beginning. I will argue that this happened as a result of a negotiation process in which she yielded to popular demand by granting a larger place to Mary while managing to maintain the initial premise of her Christic visions. The paper will explore this process and the way Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary figure in the material culture and ideology of the group as well as in the life of the faithful. I will argue that she walks a fine line between meeting the expectations of her followers, who are very much steeped in Marian lore, and holding onto what makes her unique.