IN CHICAGO AREA SINCE 1870s

Romanian immigrants started coming in the Chicago area as early as 1870s.
Slowly, they have established communities and built churches, social clubs,
their own businesses and even banks.
New immigration waves continued to bring people of Romanian heritage to the Chicago area.
.

A significant increase in the Romanian population of this metropolitan area
and its suburbs has taken place in the 1970s and 1980s,
and this was caused by the Communist oppression in Romania.

.

After the 1989 revolution, the latest trend of immigrants
was mostly made of people seeking a better lifestyle,
benefits and results of hard work in a democratic society.

NOW, OVER 125,000 LIVING IN CHICAGO AREA

Currently, despite the very low numbers reflected by the U.S. Census,
estimated counts  of the Romanian heritage population
in the greater Chicago area vary from 125,000 to 150,000.

Most of them have been assimilated in the American society
to the extent that their participation in the life
of the Romanian community is kept to a minimum.

As many as 1.2 million people of Romanian heritage
are estimated to be living in the United States.

.

As such, the scope of the Romanian American Network
and of the Romanian Heritage Center in Niles
is to bring together people of Romanian heritage,
regardless of what part of Romania (current or historical) they come from,
as well as to preserve and promote the Romanian traditions and culture.

.

It is a known fact that Chicago is home to people of Romanian heritage
with roots in the Romanian regions of:
BANAT, TRANSYLVANIA, MOLDOVA, BUKOVINA, BASARABIA, OLTENIA AND REGAT.

The Romanian Heritage Festival is intended to be a celebration of all, for all!

ROMANIAN CHURCHES HAVE PRESERVED CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS

The Romanians active in the community have chosen in most part
to belong and participate in Romanian churches,
as spirituality plays an extremely important role in the lives
of those keeping the traditions and culture alive.

Romanian holidays have a great meaning and many customs
and traditions are being kept within Romanian churches.

.

The following is a most current alphabetical list

of all the Romanian churches in the Chicago area:

• Bethany Romanian Pentecostal Church - Niles
  
• El Roi Romanian Baptist Church - Des Plaines
  
• Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church - Chicago
  
• Emmanuel Romanian Baptist Church - Chicago
  
• Emmanuel Romanian Pentecostal Church - Chicago
  
• First Romanian Baptist Church - Chicago
  
• Ghetsemane Romanian Pentecostal Church - Chicago
  
• Golgotha Romanian Pentecostal Church - Oak Lawn
  
• Holy Nativity Romanian Orthodox Church - Chicago
  
• Logos Romanian Baptist Church - Niles
  
• Maranatha Romanian Baptist Church - Chicago
  
• New Hope Romanian Bible Church - Chicago
  
• New St. George Romanian Orthodox Church - Lansing
  
• Philadelphia Romanian Church of God - Chicago
  
• Romanian Baptist Church of Chicago Metropolitan Area - Des Plaines
  
• Romanian Christian Assembly - Harwood Heights, IL
  
• Romanian Seventh Day Adventist Church - Addison
  
• Romanian Seventh Day Adventist Church - Chicago
  
• St. Andrew Romanian Orthodox Church - Chicago
  
• St. George Romanian Byzantine Catholic Church - Aurora
  
• St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Church - Chicago
  
• St. Michael Romanian Byzantine Catholic Church - Aurora
  
• Sts. Emperors Constantine & Helen Romanian Orthodox Cathedral - Chicago
  
• Sts. Peter & Paul Romanian Byzantine Catholic Church - Chicago