No one could be a prophet in his own country, nor could Father Cirill Kovalcsik in his narrower homeland, the Franciscan order in the highlands.
It was one year ago on Pentecost Sunday that, after 22 years of sacrificial spiritual service, he said mass for the last time to the Hungarian faithful in Érsekújvár in the local Franciscan church, who have been waiting ever since for the return of the Franciscan father from Hungary, chased away by the head of the house in Újvár.
While the Slovak Franciscans expelled the Franciscan priest from the Highlands, he is given honorable recognition elsewhere for his community-building and community-maintaining efforts, and for the preservation and transmission of Christian culture. Perhaps it was the activity of the sacrificial defender of Hungarians that stung someone's eye somewhere...
A few days ago, Father Cirill was able to receive the Ex Libris Award at the gala of the Hungarian Art Award System, held for the 47th time this year, on June 13, in the hall of the Klauzál Gábor Budafok-Tétényi Cultural Center.
A total of 28 awards were presented at the gala this year. Several people from Transylvania, Highlands and Voivodeship, as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations, received the recognition, in addition to Hungarian artists, there were also awardees from Szabadka, Bratislava and Transylvania.
The award system was founded in 1987 by economist Lajos Gubcsi, university associate professor, writer and journalist, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Award System for Hungarian Art. The purpose of the award is to give prestige to the national arts and artists that cover the entire Carpathian basin, rely on history and nurture traditions – and to the common culture that is a sustaining force for Hungarians. Within this framework, boards of trustees operate in all Hungarian-speaking regional units, which have handed out a total of 1,600 awards so far.
As part of the award system, the Ex Libris Award was established in 2009, which
"one of the pillars of the Hungarian Art Award system and also the most comprehensive award, which has been awarded to world-famous musicians and architects, Olympic champions and church communities, village teachers and historically significant castles, dancers and high schools all over the world - outstanding individuals and strong communities alike, the Hungarian in recognition of the preservation of our history, the preservation of the pure Hungarian culture of our present, and the education of the new generations".
Father Cirill earned the recognition with his many years of self-sacrificing activity, as he took care of the spiritual life of the Hungarian religious community in Ersekújvár visiting the Franciscan church as a commuter from Szentendre in Hungary, but he also lovingly helped the Slovak brothers when needed, as he also speaks the Slovak language.
He is currently the pastor of the Orszáúti Franciscan Parish Church in Budapest. Previously, at the invitation of the head of the Slovak province, he undertook the missionary work in Érsekújvár, where he was able to become a defining and respected member of the entire Hungarian community of the city. In addition to the closely held pastoral work, several smaller communities were formed as a result of the work, in which the faithful were able to experience belonging to the larger community even more deeply.
In 2003, Érsekújvár recognized his activities with the Pro urbe award, in 2019 he received the mayor's award, the Rákóczi Association awarded him the Esterházy award in 2010, and in 2023 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit.
The Hungarian faithful of Érsekújvár think of Father Cirill fondly, and the Ex Libris Award given to him fills them with pride!
Featured image: ferenceseks.hu
