From a dwelling house to the house of God
In Tiszaszentimre, a former turn-of-the-century residential house was transformed into an exceptionally charming Roman Catholic church.
Turning back the clock of history, we see that after the devastation caused by the Ottoman times, the countryside was deserted. In 1746, there were no Catholics living in Szentimre, the few Catholic believers who settled later belonged to the parish of Tiszaörs, and they did not have their own church.
In the second half of the 1800’s, landowning families settled in the town and took on the task of building the Catholic community, education and churches.
The first chapel was erected upon the instruction and at the cost of the widow of the late Kálmán Návay in 1906 in Erzsébetpuszta, which belongs to Tiszaszentimre. In 1917 the archdiocese established a local chaplaincy here under the supervision of the parish priest of Tiszaörs.
In 1935, with the increase in the number of Catholic believers, the need arose for the parish to provide a pastor’s house and a place of worship. According to its decree issued on 28 February, 1936, the local pastorate of the late widow Kálmánné Návay, which had been established in 1917 in Erzsébettanya, was moved by the archdiocese to the village of Tiszaszentimre, thanks to the sacrifice of the baroness. Separating it from Tiszaőrs, the archdiocese elevated it to the rank of a parish, thus restoring the old parish that had existed in 1332.
A local residential house was converted into a parish church, with one half being the churchyard and the other half serving as a pastor’s house where the parish priest lived. The church was consecrated in 1936.
Altar hiding a relic
There are nameplates on the pews of the church, as a tribute to the families and individuals who contributed to the building of the church in 1936 with significant donations. Descendants of some families still live in the town.
Until 1949, there were nearly 2,500 Catholic believers in the town, but in the historical period that followed, church attendance dwindled.
Among the furnishings of the church, a special sacral feature is the Baroque altar made in the 1800’s, which was transferred from the parish in Tiszaörs to the chapel in Erzsébetpuszta at the end of the 19th century. A new podium was placed under the so-called “old altar”, because the previous one had become quite worn out.
A special curiosity is that a piece of the bone of the church’s namesake, Prince Saint Emeric of Hungary, was found built into the altar during the renovation. The relic of Saint Emeric of Hungary, authenticated by the seal of the Archdiocese of Eger, was photo-documented and then restored. However, it can be viewed by visitors in photos.
The singing of the faithful is accompanied by a 19th-century harmonium, whose distinctive, authoritative sound lifts one’s spirit to heaven.
Life of the church today
Mass is held regularly and anyone who feels motivated can attend the church services.
The former pastor’s house has been converted into guest rooms for visitors, offering comfortable accommodation for a night or a week’s stay.
During church holidays, the churchyard also serves as an important community space. For both local residents and visitors, the parish organises fairs and various hospitality events.
A new tower was built for the church because there was a demand for it from the faithful. For the more adventurous, it is worth going up and taking a bird’s-eye view of the village and the surrounding area.
The chimes of the tower can be heard at 10:00, 15:00 and 20:00.
Source: Video interview with dr. Csaba Székely
