Hungary Comments - En

ACTS OF THE 7th EUROPEAN ASSEMBLY OF LAY DOMINICAN FRATERNITIES

ANNEX IIh

COMPLEMENT TO THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON THE GENERAL VICARIATE OF HUNGARY

Dear Sisters and Brothers, I would like to greet the Members of the Assembly on behalf of the Hungarian Lay Dominican sisters and brothers. At first I would like to draft our history. In Hungary the Order’s history started in 1221, when Hungarian Paul returned from Bologna together with 4 friars and they started to organize the province. Chronologically it was the 7th province founded in the Order. Several times the history had strong effects on the Order’s life. In 1241 the Tartars attacked Hungary, then in 1526 the Turkish conquest destroyed a lot of convents. Communities fell victims to them also, so then in 1569 the Provincia Hungariae ended. The left part of it was attached to the Czech Province. After having expelled the Turkish army, the Dominican life continued within the framework of the joint province of Austria-Czech-Hungary. Then from 1857 we belonged to the Austrian-Hungarian Province. The autonomous Hungarian Province was re-founded after the end of the 1st World War. During the years of the communist regime the Order’s work was forbidden like in other Eastern European countries. Religious people were blocked in different ways, such as they were pursued, put into jail, or institutionalized. Serving as priests was not allowed. Their activities were monitored. Consequently, some of them escaped to foreign countries, others continued fulfilling their priestly vocations in secret, taking the responsibility of punishments like becoming prisoners. A few friars were allowed to do pastoral work but only under very strict monitoring. Lay Dominican fraternities faced the same difficulties. The reorganisation of the autonomous Hungarian Province in 1989, after the fall of the communism, was not successful. There are only very few friars, so now we became a General Vicariate. Polish friars take part in the pastoral work. Their support is of great value. The novices study in the Theological Faculties of the Order in Krakow and Warsaw. After the fall of communism, the existing Lay Dominican fraternities that had worked in secret were also allowed to work publicly and officially. New fraternities could also be founded. At present there are 12 fraternities altogether in different parts

of the country. We have 85 finally professed members, 3 temporarily professed and 36 not committed. The members of the fraternities meet regularly and form prayer groups. We have self formation and participate in spiritual retreats. We fulfil different tasks at our local parishes depending on our capabilities. There are parish council members, teachers of religious education, pastoral helpers. Some Lay Dominicans take an active part in the editorial work of the Dominican periodical called ’Disciple’. We have an internet page that is regularly updated. It serves as a tool for reaching those who do not come to the church, but might be interested in our lives. The Bulgarian fraternity – which was founded and is recognized within the framework of the Hungarian Vicariate – is welcomed with pleasure. We hope that the Order will grow through their work in Bulgaria. Our future goals are: • • • • • •

we need to amend ourselves to become better Dominicans, to grow, to find the way towards the different parts of society, especially towards the youth, to work more closely with the Lay Dominican fraternities of the neighbouring countries, to co-operate in serving the reconciliation between nations with love to each other. And we need persist in praying for new religious vocations.