Ecclesiastical treasures
Vestment embroidered by Maria Theresia
MúzeumCafé 8.
Some ten or more years ago the site of the Regnum Marianum community’s buildings was a desolate, outlying area of Budapest. The complex, which includes a church, crypt, presbytery and a part for communal purposes (library, gallery, rooms for sessions, playground) was built to continue the work undertaken earlier. Parish priest Father György Hajnal, himself a Regnum member, has been running and organising the community’s life in the district since 1990.
Father Hajnal’s parents, who lived in a nearby street, began collecting relics and documents of the past, as well as recording folk traditions. Since the 1960s Father Hajnal has taken over the collection, expanding it with ecclesiastical and other items. He also monitors local developments so he can be anywhere in time if there is something to be saved for posterity. Thus he managed to obtain the documents and products of the Budapest plant of the Zsolnay factory, which operated locally but ceased production after 1990, as well as a large part of the estate of music teacher and composer Lajos Bárdos. Hence the collection is diverse, though the items can be classified in four large units: local history, and ethnographic, ecclesiastical and brick collections. Father Hajnal has divided the exhibition of the nearly entire collection into two large sections. The local history part, which primarily serves educational purposes, is located in the basement and can easily be accessed by the motor-disabled. It begins with a display of tools and household articles used until the end of the 19th century, which throw light on the district’s agricultural past. Visitors can also learn about middle class homes and the lifestyle of local residents. The exhibition of the ecclesiastical collection is located on the ground floor and upstairs in the community centre. The displays present the architectural heritage of Zsámbék, Esztergom, Ják, Pécs and Tihany, the lives of Hungarian saints and the activity of religious orders in Hungary. Of note are two old vestments. One was embroidered by Maria Theresia in 1779 – as confirmed by the initials, the year and the orb. The other got to Hungary from Spain. This gold-embroidered vestment depicting St. Francis Xavier and St. Aloysius Gonzaga was made in the early 18th century. A cope embroidered with 21-carat gold scales with St. Paul on one side and St. Peter on the other is also of outstanding value. The list of liturgical objects includes a leather parchment-bound prayer book in Hungarian published in 1893, a prayer book in German printed in Pest and valuable due to its special binding, and a candle holder made with a rare technique.
The ecclesiastical exhibition ends with liturgical objects made by artist Gizella Humel who also crafted the altar of the church. This and the contemporary ecclesiastical exhibitions regularly held in the reception hall mean that education at the Regnum Marianum is continuous. The exhibition at Zoborhegy Square can be visited between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday. It can be reached by trolleybus 77 from the ‘Stadionok’ underground station to Rákosmezei Square. On the initiative of the parish priest, the Office of Cultural Heritage has begun for putting the collection under protection.