A Herman Ottó Múzeum évkönyve 48. (2009)

Vámosi Katalin: Sajópetri római katolikus temploma

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF SAJÓPETRI The idea of building a church was first raised in the 1960s in the Roman Catholic community of Sajópetri because the community only had a school chapel erected in 1936, still standing today. In 1964, János Villányi, parish priest of Sajólád requested permission to build a church from the local council, but was refused even an answer. Plans for building a new church were revived in 1990. On the initiative of Béla Balpataki, the parish priest, the building of the church was begun following the selection and purchase of the plot of land, the latter with the active support of the parish council. Four architects submitted their design plans for the architectural competition: the plans made by Csaba Bodonyi were chosen by Archbishop Dr. István Seregély. The foundation stone was laid down on October 7, 1990, on the festival of the Queen of the Rosary, the church's patron saint. The construction of the tower was begun in 1993; however, instead of the original, far too costly original plan, the church was eventually built according to Bodonyi's third variant on the original design. Similarly to the Greek Catholic church, the new church is located in the centre of the village, marking the settlement's spiritual centre. Although smaller than the other church, its white imposing mass compels passers-by to stop and pause. The churchyard is enclosed by a whitewashed brick wall, interrupted by wooden gates at the main entrance and on the south-eastern side. The ground plan organised around a central space and the majestic dome roofing hark back to Byzantine models. The prominence of the central building is emphasized by the dome with the lanterna covering the rectangular mass of the main building enhanced with bays, a visual metaphor evoking the ideal of centralised space. The triangles at either end of the glass windows extend the space outward and smuggle the natural sky into the interior, diminishing thereby the symbolic significance of the dome. The belfry recalls Italian campaniles, standing separate from the church building. The Church of the Queen of the Rosary was completed in 1993 and consecrated by Archbishop Seregély on October 9, 1994. The artworks adorning the church's interior too were completed the same year: the statue of St. Joseph by Éva Varga, the oil paintings narrating the secret of the Rosary by Gyula Feledy and the furnishings of the sanctuary, the enamel altarpiece portraying the Queen of the Rosary, the ambo and the tabernacle made by Gábor Rácz. The statues portraying St. Peter and Cardinal Mindszenty, sculpted by Péter Szanyi, a sculptor active in Miskolc, were blessed by Gyula Márfi, suffragan bishop of Eger. The idea for the composition came from Antal Kuklay, honorary prebend, parish priest of Köröm and art historian. Permission for making the statue had to be granted by the Archbishop because according to the Church precepts, the portrayal of uncanonised individuals and the erection of their statue in a church are forbidden. The bronze statue of St. Anthony, also sculpted by Szanyi, was consecrated in Spring 1997 by Honorary Prebend Kuklay. The ceiling was made by master carpenter Károly Vankucz, the other carved woodwork by Sándor Tibai of Alsózsolca: the pews, the altar, the ambo and the tabernacle all testify to his skilful work. The images depicting the stations of the Cross were carved by István Anderkó, an art teacher from Szatmárnémeti; each picture was sponsored by a family and by a donation from the Rosary Association. The twelve rounded windows of the tambour were made by János Kovács Keve; the elegant white and blue composition evokes clouds floating in blue skies, an ingenious blend of visual effects. The fine sculptures and paintings not only adorn the church interior, but also contribute to its unity and the intensive experience of the prayers and religious ceremonies. Katalin Vámosi