Photo: MTI/Péter Komka
The ministerial commissioner responsible for the coordination of the measures necessary for the implementation of the National Religious Tourism Action Plan explained that the church is not a thing of the past, but a house of prayer and community. If these two are there, there is a future, so the future starts from the church, he said.
With the support of the Hungarian government, more than 3,000 churches in the Carpathian Basin have been renovated in the past 12 years, and more than 250 new churches have been built. “These are huge numbers. Whoever builds and renovates a church thinks regarding the future,” he said.
According to the Christian Democrat politician, the future of Central Europe is Christianity, and that is what the people living here should focus on; and we must do something regarding it every day, because they attack the values of faith, family, work, security and peace.
While churches in Central Europe are being renovated, in Western Europe they are being closed and transformed into something else. “They try to erase God from everyday life. However, the church is a compass, it warns us where the future is, why we need to preserve Christian values and why we need to speak with the voice of peace,” he said.
Lőrinc Nacsa noted that the renovation of the church in Ipolyfédémes, the development of the church in Tompa, or the soon-to-be-completed construction of the Ipoly-híd in Ipolyhídvég also serve to “unite the peoples of Central Europe and work together to preserve Christian values”.
The ministerial commissioner emphasized that Hungarians in the highlands can still count on the support of the Hungarian government.
According to the Hungarian-language portal ma7 in Slovakia, the renovation of the church in Ipolyfédémes began in May 2022; the restorer and painter György Tarr from Leányfalu started painting the church on June 1, according to the developed plans, which was realized with the support of the Hungarian government at a cost of HUF 8.8 million.
In addition to the installation of new floor tiles, following nearly 25 years, the walls were painted, the murals were renovated, and the statues were cleaned, including the Christ, the Little Jesus of Prague, St. Therese of Lisieux, and Our Lady of Sorrows statues. György Tarr restored the original three-dimensional decoration of the church walls.
The implementation was carried out by Imre Nagy, a native of the nearly three hundred enthusiastic Palócföld village.
The thanksgiving Mass was led by the Bishop of Béztercebány, Marián Chovanec.
The church in Ipolyfédémes was built in 1757, without a tower, in the late Baroque style. A sacristy was built for the one-nave church in the sixties of the 19th century. The church’s wooden tower was made by the locals in 1956 when the roof was being rebuilt. The main altar comes from Selmecbánya in 1858. The altarpiece depicts Saint Michael, the patron saint of the church, as God’s messenger.