It is in Hungary's interest that our churches remain not only inanimate parts of our cultural heritage, but the homes of living communities - declared the Head of the Prime Minister's Office on Sunday, 26 March, at the Angyalföld Reformed Church. At the thanksgiving service held for the renovation of the church, Gergely Gulyás emphasised that Christianity is the "most personal public matter". Looking at the history of Hungary from the founding of the state to the present day, it is clear what Christianity has added to the lives of Hungarians - it can be read in the news of MTI.

The minister said: "We must remember how it shaped our thinking and culture, how it showed the way in good and bad times, how it gave us strength to endure difficulties and hope to believe in the coming of a better age even in the most difficult times." Speaking about the Angyalföld congregation, he recalled: at the beginning of the last century, some enthusiastic young pastors started the mission in the poorest working-class district. The mission gained new strength when the "exiles of Trianon", the "van-dwelling refugees" resettled from Transylvania to Angyalföld, joined the church.

The renovated Frangepán Street church of the Budapest-Angyalföld Reformed Parish was built in 1933 (Source: frangepan.hu)

The people who live here not only built it but also preserved the church and the congregation during the most difficult decades of the 20th century - even at the cost of enormous efforts - said the minister. He emphasised: church building is always community building. The Angyalföld congregation who listen to the word of God together on Sundays, those who follow the sermons online, and the 400 schoolchildren who study Reformed religious studies in the Angyalföld schools form a community. A community whose members participate in each other's lives, have a common faith, "share our ultimate hope", can count on each other, and take advantage of the many opportunities for meetings provided by the church, Gergely Gulyás listed.

A thanksgiving service was held for the renovation of the Angyalföld Reformed Church (Photo: Budapest-Angyalföld Reformed Parish Facebook page)

Zoltán Balog, President of the Synod of the Hungarian Reformed Church, explained a section of the book of Proverbs in his sermon and said: One of the wisest pieces of advice of Solomon is that a person should not start with himself, should not start from himself. Because "he who starts with himself will sooner or later be left alone". That is why we "start with God", because whoever does this. sooner or later realises that "we do not start with God, but he starts with us".

The common and essential thing in the history of the biblical people is that they never started something, but God started something with them. At that time, God started with Abraham, when he told him to "go out of your land", he started with Moses, calling him to take his people out of the "house of slavery", and he stopped Paul Apostle on the road to Damascus so that Saulus could become Paulus.

Zoltán Balog touched on the following: true knowledge begins with a shock. The beginning of knowledge, of wisdom is when a person is moved by the fact that the creator of the world praises them for opening the way to knowing him. Shock becomes trust, trust becomes faith, and faith becomes confession, said the Reformed bishop, adding that this is a never-ending story called eternity.

The renovated church from the entrance (Photo: Budapest-Angyalföld Reformed Parish Facebook page)

In his greeting, József Tóth, the mayor of the 13th District, called it important that the district's churches remain and serve the community. According to his opinion, the cooperation between the local council and the historical churches in the district is balanced and harmonious.

The foundation stone of the Reformed church and parish, located at 43 Frangepán Street, 13th District, was laid in 1927, and construction was completed in 1933. The renovation of the church began in 2017 with the rebuilding of the tower which was damaged in World War II and then temporarily restored, and in 2022 the roof and facade were renovated. The cost of the investment was covered by a donation from church members and government support won through a tender.

Source: MTI

Cover photo: The renovated Frangepán Street church of the Budapest-Angyalföld Reformed Parish on 26 March 2023 (Photo: MTI/Noémi Bruzák)