Presbyterian Church in Ireland - Mission Overseas - CENTRAL EUROPE: Hungarian Reformed Churches in Carpathian Basin celebrate their unity

1st June 2009

Bells in Hungarian-speaking Reformed Churches across the Carpathian Basin, in Central Europe, chimed together when churches in Transylvania, Partium (Romania), Transcarpathia (Ukraine), southern Slovakia, Vojvodina and in Hungary, torn apart due to the re-drawing of historical borders, united once again.

The occasion was the Constitutional Synod held in Debrecen in Hungary on Friday, 22 May 2009 to ratify the unified Constitution of the Reformed Church in Hungary.

On the same day, a celebration of thanksgiving took place, when a large number of reformed church believers made their way to Debrecen, and symbolised their unity by walking in procession through the city centre.

Congregations of Church districts in Hungary welcomed their brothers and sisters from across the borders. The congregations divided by the Peace Treaty waited in front of a separate belfry and, before the procession set off, Hungarian Reformed Church members from across the borders were joined by those who live in Hungary. This united the procession symbolically, from Beregszász (Beregovo) to Kolozsvár (Cluj).

Already united in their faith, the reformed church members strengthened their unity with one another by means of another symbol, handfuls of soil (brought by the participants from their 'home area') which were placed in the centre of Debrecen on a small replica relief of the Carpathian Basin.

The celebration of thanksgiving was rounded off with Worship and a celebration of the Lord's Supper.