The government highly values the pedagogical traditions of the Salesian order and the outstanding work that its members do for young people, especially the disadvantaged, said the Minister of Finance in Budapest on Monday.
Mihály Varga spoke at the handover ceremony of the Salesian oratory (community square) and provincial headquarters building in Óbuda, which was built with HUF 2.2 billion government support: members of the order and volunteer helpers can now welcome young people in new buildings, provide for their education and meaningful pastime. But even in the new buildings, the community whose members "have been turning to them with faith, understanding and love for more than a hundred years" awaits the young people.
Belief, the will to do, and setting an example attract fellow helpers. This is how Saint John Bosco was able to build the worldwide community, he said, noting that the Salesian Order is today the second largest male religious order in the world. They have fifteen thousand members, their work is supported by hundreds of thousands of civil volunteers worldwide, and they operate five thousand schools in addition to their convents.
The minister also touched on the fact that the new buildings also exemplify that the government has persisted with its basic goals despite the serious difficulties of recent years, among which the support of religious life is an important one.
"We help churches to perform their public duties and community-building services under the best possible conditions," he said. He also said that the government sees the churches as natural allies in the work they do for the preservation of Hungary's Christian culture and its intellectual and spiritual renewal.
The building was blessed by Cardinal Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest. The cardinal talked about: the sacred and the profane are not independent, non-contacting realities, and people do not pass from one world to the other. The saint is present in everyday life, in games, sports and studies.
Péter Erdő also spoke about: Catholic education and upbringing has developed in Hungary in the last thirty years, and the increase in the number of institutions presents a unique challenge to the Catholic Church in Europe as well.
Provincial Chief János Andrásfalvy thanked the government for the support and explained: the total value of the investment is HUF 2.2 billion. The oratory's three-story, 1,714-square-meter building was built with 1.4 billion HUF, and the 614-square-meter building of the provincial administration with 800 million HUF.
He said: in the Salesian oratory in Óbuda, since its foundation 102 years ago, the members of the order have raised orphaned children, rescued Jewish children during the time of crisis, and countless young people and families received "a good word, a loaf of bread and spiritual edification" here.
During the decades of communism, the center was not allowed to function, but since the regime change, sports programs for young people, game days, festivals, scout gatherings, animator training and summer oratorio day camps have again been held regularly in the reclaimed building.
Source: MTI
Pictures: MTI/Attila Kovács
