Magyar News, 1999. szeptember-2000. augusztus (10. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-06-01 / 10. szám
by Erika Papp Faber C—J One of the many reliefs on the side of the chapel depicting Blessed Gisela holding the coronation robe she embroidered Hungarians making a pilgrimage to Rome in this Jubilee Year will feel right at home: there's a Hungarian chapel in St. Peter's Basilica, where they'll see some of the most familiar Hungarian saints, including St. Stephen, together with Our Lady, Patroness of Hungary (Magyarok Nagyasszonya); and there's a spacious, modem Hungarian pilgrimage house, where the pilgrim can enjoy some familiar Hungarian hospitality in a relaxed and beautiful setting. The historical roots of both these institutions can be traced back to St. Stephen. In 1000 A.D., he had asked the Pope not only for a crown, but also for a church in Rome. The Pope granted his request, and King Stephen built a pilgrimage house next to the church to accommodate Hungarian pilgrims. When St. Peter's Basilica was rebuilt in the late 18th century, both the church and pilgrimage house were demolished. In 1946, Cardinal Mindszenty repeated St. Stephen's request for a church. He too received one, but it was to be his in name only (what is known as a "titular church"). Nothing came of his request for a house for pilgrims. After the death of Cardinal Mindszenty, “Our Lady of Hungary” behind altar when "his" church reverted to the Holy See, Pope Paul VI gave the Hungarians a chapel, located in the crypt of St. Peter's, close to the tomb of the first apostle. Consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1980, it seems, from a floor map, to be the largest chapel in the entire Basilica. Dedicated to Mary, Patroness of Hungary, it contains bas-reliefs of 19 saints who were either bom in Hungary, or came from elsewhere but are considered to be "Hungarian". Seven Hungarian artists (three with the surname Kiss) created the sculptures and basreliefs. An eighth artist, Amerigo Tot, did the bronze relief covering the rear wall of the chapel, and depicting various episodes in its history. (His name allows us to suspect his Hungarian origin, as "Amerigo" is Italian for "Imre".) The wall behind the altar shows the Hungarian mythical stags (csodaszarvasok) and the tree of life (életfa). Superimposed on it is the sculpture of Our Lady of Hungary, the work of Imre Varga. He also sculpted the statue of St. Stephen, shown here as an old and desolate man, as he offers his crown and his nation to Mary, following the untimely death of his only son and heir, St. Imre. As for the pilgrimage house, a most generous Hungarian woman, Erzsébet Fáy, came on the scene in the mid-sixties. For many years, she had taken care of a wealthy English lord, who left her a sizable fortune. She offered to build the pilgrimage house in Rome, if the Hungarians living in the West could provide a suitable plot of land. Once she declared her intention, Hungarian church leaders in Rome took the matter in hand. They located a piece of property which, at that time, was surrounded by open fields. A fundraising campaign was started among Hungarians in the free world, and the money was collected. The cornerstone for the Casa di Santo Stefano, or Szent István The altar part of the chapel Page 6
