A fundraiser has been started to cover the construction costs of the chapel planned for Anna Meadow (Anna-rét) in the 12th District. The selected plan and the building permit were already available last year, but the necessary state support is not available due to the war situation. The district's website states that the estimated cost of building the chapel is 127 million HUF. "After collecting the necessary amount, we hope that the construction works will start in 2024 at the latest," reports hegyvidek.hu.

On the district's website, hegyvidek.hu, it is also reported that the Esztergom-Budapest Archdiocese and the Hegyvidéki Local Council issued a joint tender three years ago for the construction of an open-air mass and memorial place which pilgrims can visit at the intersection of the Way of Mary Pilgrimage Routes that run through Anna Meadow, and which can also be used as a resting place. The architects were asked to take environmental aspects into account when preparing the plans.

59 valid entries were received for the tender. Based on the plan selected for implementation, a small, twelve-seat chapel would be built, which would also be suitable for holding an open-air mass with a larger number of people, if opened to the meadow. As they write, its construction would ensure that religious gatherings, which are already regularly held on Anna Meadow, can be held in a dignified environment, but without serious use of the nature reserve.

The chapel was designed to seat just under twelve, but it can also be joined by an outdoor mass and memorial place (Photo: hegyvidek.hu)

In the article, it is reported that civil communities and church representatives have been pushing for eighty years now to build the Chapel of the Atonement of the Virgin Mary, Queen of the World on Anna Meadow, for which purpose the capital donated land to the church next to Anna Meadow in 1942. Construction began in December 1944 but was stopped due to the arrival of Soviet troops, and the construction material disappeared. After the war, new, larger plans were prepared with the approval of Cardinal József Mindszenty, and the foundation stone was laid in 1947. However, the communist government intervened and, at the same time as disbanding the monastic orders, also prevented the construction of the chapel.

As they write, after the change of regime, in 1992, András Salamin and his family built a tiny chapel on Anna Meadow. However, the faithful did not give up on their previous plans: they founded the Svábhegy Chapel of the Atonement of the Queen of the World Association in order that the shrine that appeared in Sister Natália's vision could be realised on the original site.

So the plans are ready, the building permit is also available, the only thing missing is the necessary money to start construction. The Hegyvidék Local Council opened a special account for the collection of donations, the account number was also published on the municipal website hegyvidek.hu.

Source: hegyvidek.hu

Cover photo: Donations are being collected for the construction of the Anna Meadow chapel (Photo: hegyvidek.hu)