Metropolitan Lukijan consecrates the church in Deszk
The renovated Serbian Orthodox church in Deszk, near Szeged, was consecrated on Friday by Metropolitan and Archbishop Lukijan Pantelić. The following day, the similarly renovated Serbian Orthodox chapel in Mohács was also consecrated.
Miklós Soltész, State Secretary for Churches and Nationalities, noted at the consecration ceremony that Serbian Orthodox churches have been renovated in dozens of Hungarian towns. “The Serbian community can rely on the government, which will do everything to support and renovate their schools and churches,” the politician promised.
The state secretary announced that
the interior of the single-nave, east-facing church in Deszk, built in 1859 in the Neoclassical style, was renovated at a cost of 45 million HUF; work will now continue with the restoration of the tower, for which 25 million HUF (64,000 EUR, 1 EUR = 390 HUF) has been allocated.
The Archbishop of Buda said that the church is not merely a stone-built space adorned with murals, but a place that has preserved the spirit, identity, and traditions of the community for centuries. The archbishop expressed his gratitude for the support the Hungarian government has provided to the church and the Serbian community in Hungary. This support is not only material in nature but also a sign of appreciation for the spiritual values, culture, and presence of the Serbian people in this region, the church leader emphasized. “In a spiritual sense, the rebuilt church calls on us to rebuild ourselves as well in unity, forgiveness, and the self-sacrificing practice of love,” Lukijan Pantelić emphasized.
Photo: MTI/Kacsúr Tamás
Milan Stepanov, chairman of the Serbian Self-Government of Mohács, reported that the Vodica Chapel was renovated by the local Serbian community together with the town’s residents, thereby “preserving a piece of Serbian identity in Mohács for posterity and at the same time restoring one of Mohács’s wonders to magnificent condition.”
Jovan Bibić, deputy dean, expressed the hope that this chapel would be a place where everyone can pause, pray, find peace, and draw strength.
Vodica Chapel. Photo: MTI/Kacsúr Tamás
Norbert Bugarszki, the coordinator of the construction work, pointed out that the chapel was built in 1902 by the Serbian Orthodox community of Mohács over a naturally formed spring.
At the beginning of the 20th century, many devout locals visited Vodica during the new moon phase from Friday to Sunday.
They prayed and washed their aching, sick body parts with the spring water, but they could also freely draw water from it and bring it to those who could not come to the chapel. The spring dried up in the 1960s due to water extraction, but since the well was deepened in 2007, it has once again been providing visitors with water, he added.
Interior of the Vodica Chapel. Photo: MTI/Tamás
The coordinator emphasized that many people had contributed to the current renovation of the chapel through monetary donations, labor, or other contributions—which included insulating, plastering, and painting the building, replacing the roof, and landscaping the surrounding area.
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Via MTI; Featured image: MTI/Oláh Tamás
