The construction of the new community house and renovation work is to be completed with 1.8 billion HUF of state funding. Contracts for the construction were signed in Budapest on Monday – writes the MTI.

The church on Pasarét Square today (Photo: Franciscan Parish of Pasarét)

"The epidemic has shown us the true importance of human communities and human life. This is why the government considers supporting congregations and religious life extremely important" – said Minister of Finance, Mihály Varga. The Franciscan community supports those living in the 2nd District in many ways, for example, through a nursery and home for the elderly.

A new community house will be built next to the church (Source: Sagra Architects Facebook page)

Benedek Dobszay, vicar provincial of the Franciscan Our Lady of Hungary Province, said: building communities is a central pillar of Franciscan spirituality–the new community building will support this work. He said, "The building does not serev us, but other through us."

László Gelencsér, owner of Laterex Kft., the contractors building the community house, detailed that the four-story building will be built in place of an old, dilapidated villa. Its style will conform to the church and square, which were built in the 1930s. The ground floor will house a large room with a capacity of 180 people and a playroom. A small chapel and room will be built on the first floor, while the second will house classrooms for religious studies. Service rooms will be located in the basement. 

 

A large hall for 180 people will be found on the ground floor (Source: Sagra Architects Facebook page)

Kálmán Peregrin, the parish priest, said that all development work would be carried out through state funding. The 1.8 billion HUF will cover the cost of the new building and the renovation of the church, cloister and parish house.

Pasarét church is one of the emblematic modern buildings of Budapest, designed by Gyula Rimanóczy together with the bus terminal beside it. The Franciscan Church and Monastery of St Anthony was completed in 1934. Since then, only one larger change has been made. New liturgical spaces were created in the church, and a second story was added to the monastery in 1986.

Source: MTI

Cover Photo: View of the renovated church (Source: Sagra Architects Facebook page)